


Does it always hurt?

by Caketastrophe_cosplay



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Brothels, Eavesdropping, F/M, Fight Scene, Fighting, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Injuries and Blood, Leather, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Nott is a gremlin, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Secrets, Smut, Tarot Readings, Trauma, Violence, Yasha is a great friend, caleb is also an idiot, fjord is a great friend, mentions of bunring people, mollymauk is an idiot, sexy outfits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-04-30 20:07:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14504532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caketastrophe_cosplay/pseuds/Caketastrophe_cosplay
Summary: Mollymauk Tealeaf is in way over his head as he realizes he has ample experience in lying but absolutely no experience with love and real feelings. He decides that for the benefit of the group its probably better if he shoves them down despite the pain it puts him through.Besides he wouldn't want to burden Caleb more than he already is._________________________Just let me write my lavender tiefling child pining uncontrollably and everyone knows he's being stupid except for him.





	1. Tarot Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey welcome. Please enjoy these stupid boys pining after each other. Also I recently started learning the tarot and you'll notice that my card descriptions are a little different than the classic deck because they are a combination of the unique deck I have as well as my interpretation of what I think molly's deck would have as its symbols. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy <3

Mollymauk had a big big BIG problem and he did not how to deal with it. He has never had to deal with this level of emotion, of turmoil in himself before. Lust? Attraction? Yeah sure those were easy to repress and to never think of again or take care of and be on his merry and flashy way. Romance however... actual feelings for someone. He did not have a background that would help him with that. 

He was as nervous as someone with their first crush because, well...this WAS his first crush ever. This whole being in love thing was really cramping his style and it was entirely that shabby wizards fault. 

Okay he wasn't shabby he was gorgeous and caring and guarded, certainly on edge and nervous but he had his moments and recently in the Mighty Nein he had been trying so hard to work with and get along with the group and Molly had noticed. He had noticed that Caleb was using spell after spell to make sure the group was careful, safe and that they weren't going to get surprised. Even Nott had taken to looking for traps and bloody hell, she got her thumb shot off with an arrow for it in that research facility. 

Molly had noticed how attractive Caleb was under all the dirt and grime when they first met, because it wasn't about his tattered clothes or his bruises and dirt smeared face. It had been about his eyes because as much brown as Caleb tried to cover himself up with nothing could hope to conceal that beautiful bright blue. 

It hadn't started to become a serious problem until he'd pinned him against the sewer walls to give him a punishment for skimming things off the top. A gentle little don't do that again for the good of the group, talk never hurt anyone. Except Mollymauk had stared directly at those blue eyes that refused to meet his own and he'd sauntered away unaffected...mostly. 

In the end here he was consulting his cards in his and Fjords’ room and the five card spread was more than a little aggravating to him. His face was a deeper purple than normal and his tail lashed behind him in both embarrassment and frustration as he stared down at the cards. His deck was sassy as fuck. 

Fjord knocked once, polite as always, before he opened the door gently and walked into the room. 

"Hey Molly. You readin’ your own cards?" He had brought up some supplies and was headed over towards their packs to put them away but something about the tieflings thrashing tail and his dark and flushed face gave him pause. In addition, molly said nothing in response to his greeting which was uncharacteristic of him. 

"Hmm..." Molly stared down at the cards and just briefly glanced up at Fjord. He tried to school his expression but the damage had already been done because Fjord was staring at him in concern.

"You okay Molly?" The lavender tiefling fidgeted and forced his characteristic wide grin to spread across his face. His tail was forcibly stilled on the bed and as good of an actor as Mollymauk was, he was not fooling anyone. 

"Me? Oh yes just trying to come to terms with what the fates are uh... predicting. Nothing to bother yourself with Fjord." Fjord nodded and put his stuff down before he came and sat on the foot of the bed opposite Molly with the cards in between them.

"Right. It seems from your expression that you've pulled something bad here, what do they mean?" Mollymauk blanched as he sat down and suddenly started looking over the five cards upside down. To the practiced eye of Molly the cards were very obvious, but it would be hard to mistake a card like the two of cups even for someone without tarot experience. His cards featured beautiful art of two arms crossed with chalices in hand and a pair of roses laying over the top with red petals falling downwards. It screamed romance and he watched as Fjord lingered on that card for a second as they both remained silent. 

Fjord met his eyes, clearly waiting for an explanation and Mollymauk took a deep breath before he calmed himself and reminded himself that lying was always the best option. 

"Well it’s just a simple five card spread about the past, present and future." The first piece of bullshit. Three card spreads were the ones depicting past present and future, five cards were for conflicts between two people. He opened his mouth to start explaining but Fjord cut him off. 

"Now I'm no expert, but I thought you did three cards for Jester when you did her past present and future." Fjords gaze was unwavering on him and Molly sucked in a breath at being caught. "Look Molly you've been out of sorts lately and I'd like to help, but don't bullshit me to my face when I'm trying to lend an ear. If you want me to leave it be I can, but I would like to help. I consider us friends." 

Fuck. 

Molly shuffled the remained of the deck in his hand nervously before he glanced at the door and slid his eyes finally back over to Fjord. He had gotten along well with Fjord since the beginning, he considered him a friend in this messed up family they had started to build and maybe someone with experience could help him. After all his measly two years of experience clearly was leaving him a little short changed in the...love department. 

"Fine. This does not leave this room though." He narrowed his eyes at Fjord and quickly got up to lock the room door before he slid back onto the bed and looked at the cards. Fjord waited patiently for him to speak.

"It's a five card connection spread. It’s used to tell about the relations and problems between two people. This is me." He gestured to one of two cards that sat next to each other on the bottom. His card was on the left side and The Fool stood jeering at him from his twisted position. Diagonally up to the left lay the two of cups and he rested a red painted claw on it gently. "This represents my current challenges and this is.” He moved his fingers over to the cards directly to the right. “The other person and their challenges." The cards were mirroring each other in this layout, person across from person and conflict across from conflict. There sat the Queen of wands and the five of pentacles diagonally up to the right. In the center above both sets of two cards sat a single card, a wheel tangled in multicolored messy threads bordered by the sun and the moon. Underneath the depiction it read The Wheel of Fortune. That was the card he was pissed at.

Fjord was looking at the cards speculative and he pointed to the one in the center. 

"If those two down there represent you and this other person then what does the card in the middle represent?" Molly swallowed and glanced up to meet Fjords eyes for just a moment before he looked back down. 

"That is the uniting force between the two people." A pregnant silence stretched between them as Fjord gave the cards a good look. 

"So you're having problems with someone in the group and you wanted to ask the cards for help is it? Help me understand here Molly." Fjord was looking at him now and Molly shrunk into himself a little bit. It was a sight to see considering he was normally as big and loud as he could be in a space.

"It’s not quite that. I'm not having problems with anyone in the group..."

"You have feelings for someone." Fjord interrupted him and Molly felt his face heat up at the correct assumption and his tail lashed against the bed. He opened his mouth to make a different excuse but Fjord had already picked up the two of cups and was looking at it. 

"I'm no fortune teller but it’s hard to miss the romantic connotations of this card and you mentioned this was your current challenge." Molly did not give Fjord enough credit for how intelligent he was. With a sigh he gave up on bullshit and nodded silently. 

"Yes... That is correct.” He motioned down to the card representing himself next. 

“I pull The Fool a lot for myself because it often means inexperience and general new beginnings. Seeing as I've only been around for about two years..." He trailed off and let that sentence fill itself out; luckily Fjord understood and let it rest. Molly moved another colorful talon over to the other side where the Queen of Wands sat with her staff in hand. The magical connotations were also glaringly obvious to Molly, but he was pretty sure that was just because he knew who it represented. 

"So, the queen of wands is a powerful force. She represents someone who is very protective even if they don't show it, but oftentimes the bearer of this card has been shaped greatly by their past mistakes and trauma." He pushed onwards even though he knew that Fjord was probably starting to piece things together already. It was almost comforting explaining his situation through the cards without having to outright say anything. 

"The five of pentacles is a little darker." A half-wilted rose leaned against the ground with five pentagrams around it and a little blood was smeared in the grass under it. It did not look like a pleasant card but it wasn't all bad. "It tells of worry and self-doubt, but also of illness and hard times. In this context with the queen as the base card it could mean that this person is working through their own hard time, their past and current illnesses."

Fjord stayed silent and Mollymauk greatly appreciated it as they both shifted their gaze towards the wheel of fortune with all of its winding threads and meanings. 

"Fate and destiny. A change is coming spurred on by the world and the agents of fate themselves. The wheel will keep turning and the course of things will shift as we know it with or without our help." He silently explained the card and Fjord sat back with his hands on his knees as he though.

“That’s a good thing though isn’t it?” Molly snorted and rolled his red eyes. 

“If you believe in fate it is. It could also mean that there is nothing that can be done to change any outcomes.” The sour taste in his mouth returned. How dare the cards try to insinuate that they were fated. Soul mates didn’t exist, especially not for someone like him who only had two years to his name and had woken up six feet underground.

A silence descended upon them once more and Mollymauk played absently with the rings on his fingers as he tried to not feel like he was flayed open and on display. 

"Are you going to tell him?" At that he barked out a laugh and narrowed his eyes at Fjord. 

"Tell him?! You want me to put more pressure on him when he can barely handle the fact that we’re a group and we're putting our lives on the line every time we go out there? He's got more than enough on his plate without me making things more complicated or pressuring him on anything." A low whine was building in his throat and he swiped the cards off of the bed and slid them back into the bag at his hip as he flopped down face first into the bedroll.

"I've tried everything subtle I can think of and he doesn't even notice... at this point its futile." Everything he said was very muted into the blankets and Fjord looked at him with a bit of pity in his eyes. For all his pomp and circumstance Mollymauk was much less confident than he pretended and Fjord was starting to feel like he maybe should not have gotten involved. 

"Besides... he's probably not even interested and I know he would prefer someone much less..." He trailed off into grumbles. Fjord raised an eyebrow not sure he’d heard correctly.

"What was that I couldn't hear you?" 

Mollymauk shot up to his knees on the bed suddenly and his expression was full of frustration and hurt and a touch of sadness. 

"I said he’s probably not even interested in the first place! And if he was he definitely wouldn’t be interested in someone like-" He gestured at himself wildly as his volume raised with every word he spoke. "ME!" With huff he flopped backwards onto the bed and hid his face behind his hands as he swallowed thickly. He was in so deep and he had been keeping this all to himself for so long that it had all just come bubbling to the surface. Fjord was just as shocked at the outburst and was staring at the usually well calculated Tiefling as he struggled for something to say.

"Fjord..."

"Yes Molly?"

"Does it always hurt this much...?"

"Does what always hurt this much?"

"Love..." There was a hitch in his voice at the end followed by a drawn out whimper and Fjord felt his throat tighten with emotion as he realized exactly what Molly was going through. He was hurtled back suddenly to the first time he'd ever laid eyes on someone he wanted, the first time he'd had the guts to ask if he could kiss someone and that had been so long ago but it occurred to him that this was probably the first time Molly could remember being in love. First loves and first heartbreaks always hurt the most. He stood up with a creak in the bed frame and scooted over to sit next to and put a hand on Mollymauk's shoulder. 

"No, it doesn't always hurt. It can feel really wonderful too if you give it a chance." A low whine came from the lavender tiefling and Fjord rolled his eyes as he was reminded how dramatic he was. 

"I think you should tell Caleb." Mollymauk shrunk under his words and kept his face hidden. The admission of the name seeming to have an effect on him.

"I don't want him to say no. Its only recently that he's started talking with the rest of us more. He's trying really hard and if I ruin that I would never forgive myself. No." Molly sat up and shook his head. "Definitely not. Telling him would be the worst outcome." He put a hand on Fjords shoulder and stood up abruptly.

“Wait Molly-“

"Look I appreciate you listening but I have some things I need to take care of. I would appreciate it if you kept this to yourself." His look was one of warning before he sauntered over to the doorway. His gait was laced with confidence again and despite the slight flush to the corners of his eyes that betrayed his earlier tears he was back to normal. 

________________________________________________________

On the other side of the locked door a man with reddish brown hair had already turned and was halfway down the hallway and ducking into his own room as the lock and handle on the door he had been just on the other side of turned and opened. He carefully shut the door behind him with a soft thump and waited for the confident steps of one purple tiefling to disappear down the hallway and even down the stairs to the landing before he released his breath and slumped against the doorway. 

"Did you get the incense from Mollaymauk?" Nott was on the bed with some of her favorite baubles in her lap as she blinked up at the frazzled wizard.

"Uh... _Nein_. He was busy we will get some later, _ja?_ " Nott seemed unconvinced but went back to what she was doing as Caleb walked over and slumped onto his mattress. His head was buzzing with thoughts of what he had heard behind that closed door. He was not one for eavesdropping but here he was, with information he was not supposed to be in possession of. Information that made his chest hurt and the back of his neck hot and he did not know what to do with it. 

The frustrated whine he'd heard played in his head again. _"Does it always hurt this much? Love?"_

Caleb pinched the bridge of his nose as his chest ached. He supposed it did.


	2. Confessions of a Dirty Wizard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the wonderful feedback on this story already! You all give me life <3 I hope you enjoy this its a bit angsty ;)

Caleb stared at the page in front of him appearing for all intents and purposes to be thoroughly involved in the tome before him. He wasn't. Not even in the slightest. 

His brain was too wrapped up in his shameful display of eavesdropping the night before. True he had no problem listening in to hushed conversations when they were on a mission and had to gather intelligence, but that was different. There was a line that he felt he had crossed by betraying the delicate and barely formed trust of their group. Friends weren’t supposed to eavesdrop on their other friends, what Molly had said to Fjord had been in confidence that nobody else was there. Especially not Caleb.

Sleep had barely gripped him in the night as he replayed the conversation bits he had heard that continued to plague him into the morning. Curse his perfect memory he did not want to remember what had been said. 

_"Fjord..."_

_"Yes Molly?"_

_"Does it always hurt this much...?"_

_"Does what always hurt this much?"_

_"Love..."_

_"No, it doesn't always hurt. It can feel really wonderful too if you give it a chance."_

_"I think you should tell Caleb."_ Fjord always the calm and collected one had said that and it had sent a shock of what felt like icy water down his spine. They were discussing him.

_"I don't want him to say no. Its only recently that he's started talking with the rest of us more. He's trying really hard and if I ruin that I would never forgive myself. No."  
"Definitely not. Telling him would be the worst outcome."_

The worst outcome.

Caleb closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as those last words played in his head. At first he had been content to think that Mollymauk had been entertaining interests in someone else but Fjords advice had solidified the sinking feeling in his stomach and he did not know how to address this.

It was endearing and flustering that Molly had taken an interest in him but it had been painful to hear the way his voice broke when he mentioned that it hurt and to hear that telling him would be the worst outcome... well he could see where that opinion had formed. Caleb wasn't exactly good at expressing himself especially not emotionally and he was far more fit to run away from a conflict than straight towards it. 

He would be a fool to ignore the distinct throbbing he felt in his chest every time he replayed that conversation in his head. 

He would also be a fool to risk ruining the group dynamic for a bout of feelings for someone.

But what was there to do about it? These emotions were half formed, half realized and he was still trying to figure out how much he was willing to trust a man who only had two years of life under his belt. 

Caleb turned to his ale and took two strong gulps before setting it back on the table. He closed his book with a snap and shoved it back into his bag. The town was starting to rouse and he heard the distinct sound of a small silver bell as the tavern door opened. 

There in the doorway stood the lavender tiefling that had plagued his thoughts but he was being supported by one very burly and very concerned looking Yasha. Caleb felt the hairs on his neck stand on end as he realized that in all his worrying he had never heard Mollymauk come back to the tavern the previous night and clearly something had happened.

His gaze raked over the man and he could see that his lip was slightly swollen and bleeding and he was limping and worst of all it seemed was that his tail was dragging on the ground, crooked to one angle. That must have hurt a lot. 

"Ow ow ow! Yasha not the left side, shit!" Molly hissed and tried to pull away from her grasp but she dutifully ignored him and brought him over to the nearest table and into a tavern chair. Caleb noticed that she did seem to let up on her grip a little bit. 

It looked really bad and Caleb was standing before his brain had finished taking the scene in. 

"What happened?" He was at the corner of the table in a second and both pairs of eyes slid over to him before the red pair immediately looked down to the ground, unable to keep their contact. It was very unlike the tiefling to avoid eye contact. Yasha maintained hers until Caleb felt the prickling at his neck that had him shifting his gaze to the side so he didn't have to stare directly at her different colored eyes. 

"Molly went out for a drink and got a little rowdy." Her explanation was quiet but he could hear the undertone of disapproval in her voice. Molly who had been mostly silent crossed his arms over his chest with a wince of pain at what was probably bruised ribs. 

"I did not get rowdy, they started it. You don't simply ask someone to leave a bar because they look like a monster” His tone shifted into a bit of a snarl on the word monster. "That is rude and I was not going to stand for it." He huffed but fell into a curse when a bit of blood dribbled down from his nose and he had to lean his head back to try and stop the blood from flowing. Yasha clicked her tongue.

"Yes, but cursing them out in infernal probably didn't help." Mollymauk shrugged as if he didn't give a single fuck and she just heaved a sigh and walked towards the stairs. On her way she put a hand on Caleb's shoulder and leaned over. 

"Keep an eye on him for me, I'm going to grab Jester." He nodded silently and fumbled with his hands for a quick moment before he pulled a chair over to sit in front of Mollymauk. Caleb had an idea of how everything went down and he realized that Molly had probably went out on his own to escape the conversation he'd had with Fjord and found himself in a tavern that didn't take to well to the presence of Tieflings. Caleb felt partially responsible for his injuries by extension, even though the logical side of him knew that was silly and stupid. 

Ah but he was a fool and even bruised and bleeding Mollymauk was radiant in his beauty and ridiculous appearance.

Molly was pinching his nose now as it bled but Caleb glanced up just in time to see the man shift his gaze away from him. A small smile threatened the corner of his own mouth but his insecurity pushed it away as he scooted closer. He stood briefly to hopefully have time to clear the flush from his cheeks and grabbed a bottle of alcohol and a rag from the bar counter. It cost him four silver but he didn’t mind for this purpose and headed back to the table to sit with a huff.

"You are a mess. Let me see the damage." Caleb held a hand out and Molly eyed it for a moment before he shifted in the chair and scooted just a little bit closer to give Caleb the range to at least give the injuries a look and perhaps clean them. He reached up and gently looked at the cut lip. He would start there he supposed as long as he was still feeling confident. 

Wetting the rag with the alcohol he shifted to the edge of his own chair, gripped Molly’s chin and gently dapped at the cut and wiped up the blood. 

“Keep pinching your nose.” Molly grumbled but obliged his demand.

"It looks worse than it is, I'll be just fine." Caleb had no doubts that he would, but he still wanted to survey the damage. It was a bruised lip from a punch, same for the nose or that might have been a wall. As he looked over him he poked at the tieflings right leg only to get a pained hiss in return.

"Ow."

"That’s what you get for getting into bar fights." Caleb continued to check the injuries and he managed to clean up most of the blood from his face and neck. Some of it he realized was coming from the red eye in the peacock tattoo and he wiped that off as well. Mollymauk opened his mouth a few times and then just nodded, giving up on whatever he had been about to retort to as Caleb’s fingers moved over his neck, his horn jewelry jingled slightly.

"That's fair." 

Caleb was not good with medicine or healing anyone and he wasn't really accomplishing anything by hovering over and cleaning at the injuries, the leg and tail would have to be taken care of by Jester. He was using this as an excuse to maybe start a conversation and to gauge the tieflings reaction to him being in his space deliberately. It was interesting to say the least. Mollymauk was pliable under his fingers, he tilted his head wherever Caleb wanted it, his pulse was strong under his fingers and Caleb felt an increase of heat on the neck and cheeks as he leaned forward just slightly to make sure that the cut on his lip wasn’t too deep. His own tongue felt tied and his brain had a thousand questions and no words to ask them with. Eventually he settled on the easy one. 

"Did you win?" Molly paused where he had been pretending to inspect a slightly damaged claw and a truly devilish grin spread across his face. Caleb pulled away from him slightly giving up some space because he knew that grin meant mischief would follow.

"Of course. They ran away as soon as one of them started bleeding from the eyes and the other one pissed himself in fear at my wicked tongue." He flicked his forked tongue out and chuckled. "I also got kicked out of the bar but I think it was worth it."

"We should probably avoid that bar from now on, ja?" He met the blood red eyes of his friend and Molly shrugged. 

"I should, you can probably still go there." Caleb wanted to remark that going to any bar without Molly would not even be half as entertaining as going with him, but he held his tongue instead. He didn't know how it would be received and he was feeling his concern ebbing away and with it his bravery to even be this close to someone that was so much, like Mollymauk was. 

Caleb cleared his throat and sat back in his chair as he tried to piece a full sentence together in his head. 

"Probably. Would you like an ale to uhh... help with the pain?" 

Mollymauk was staring directly at him with an unwavering gaze and Caleb watched as his joking gaze turned solemn and he looked downwards at his lap again with a nod. Something in him seemed defeated, almost like a scolded puppy. 

"Yeah I could go for a few of those actually. "

"Well let’s start with one." Caleb stood, unable to take the stiff atmosphere anymore as he headed towards the bar and promptly ordered an ale for Molly. A clambering on the stairs followed by soft but heavy footfalls signaled the arrival of Jester and Yasha again and immediately there was a conversation in infernal taking place behind him at the table Molly was at. 

As he waited for the ale Caleb looked behind him and watched with a bit of a wince as Jester cast a healing spell and physically straightened out Mollymauk's tail with her glowing white hands. Based on the pale tint the tieflings' face took on he assumed it was not a pain free spell and that it had also probably been a very broken tail.

"There all better!" She smiled at Molly and he gave her a weak thumbs up and a muttered thank you. 

Caleb watched them speak quietly back and forth in infernal and at one point they both glanced over towards him. Mollymauk immediately turned a darker shade of lavender and shook his head adamantly. Caleb watched him try to slip into his normal joking personality but it was terribly forced and Caleb decided that he might try to save him from Jesters verbal prodding and promptly brought the ale over and slid it to him cutting Jester off. 

"Here Molly." 

"Ah thank you darling! Definitely could use this." He practically chugged the thing and Caleb and Jester stared at him in slight awe as he kept going until it was all completely gone and he slammed the empty mug back onto the table. 

"Um..." Caleb started to speak but before he could even finish thinking what he might want to say the tiefling was standing and gave everyone a flourishing salute and a wickedly sharp grin. 

"Well this has been lovely but I didn't really sleep last night. I’ll see you in the afternoon, don’t have too much fun without me!" A too loud laugh was thrown in and he headed off towards the stairs without another word. Caleb didn't want to say that it looked like fleeing but it certainly looking like fleeing. He had a feeling that he knew why and the conversation from earlier repeated in his head again. 

"Well that was weird. I wonder what’s wrong with him." Jester was frowning as they both stared at where Molly had gone up the stairs. 

"I mean he did get the shit beat out of him at a bar. I would want sleep after that." Jester seemed to accept that as fact and spun on her heel before heading over to Beau who was ordering some breakfast at the bar. 

Caleb stood for a moment longer before he turned to return to his own table when a large hand came down on his shoulder suddenly and stopped him. He knew that it wasn't supposed to be menacing and it wasn't supposed to make him jump but Yasha did not know he own strength and size and it was terrifying. It scared the shiza out of him.

"Caleb." He took a deep breath, reminding himself that she was a friend and slowly turned to look at her chin but not her eyes. It was fine because she rarely made eye contact either. 

"Yes Yasha?" Yasha seemingly realizing her mistake removed her hand and he was grateful because her grip was frightening. 

"I uh... wanted to know if anything happened to Molly last night?" He glanced up at her eyes, taking in the concern he found there as well as the confusion and he shook his head. He repressed every inkling of a thought that he had about his overheard conversation to make his lie as convincing as he could.

" _Nein_ , I have not heard of or seen anything. Do you think he is not okay?" Guilt twisted in the pit of his stomach as she frowned but shook her head. 

"No, he's just on edge. He's normally very good at keeping the peace so this behavior is odd. I would not worry." With her words she nodded at him and headed over towards the girls ordering breakfast at the bar, leaving Caleb once again alone with his racing thoughts. 

How the fuck was he supposed to fix this situation. Molly had been acting weird recently and now he knew why and it was his fault and he wanted to fix it but he didn't know how. He certainly couldn't outright say it that would... he would definitely not be able to say it. At least not in the way he meant it or out loud for that matter. 

Slowly in his head Caleb started turning over possible plans as he sat back down at his table and took a sip of ale. The bubbling warmth he felt inside may not have been love yet but it was definitely interest and he had to do something because all of the cards were in his hand more or less. He was still dealing with the whole group as well and everyone was a lot to handle on most days, but it was starting to give off that warm home feel. He would be loath to ruin that by royally screwing up anything he wanted or could even have with Molly. 

No this was a delicate situation and he was going to have to go about it slowly. Maybe he could start building something there very delicately and he would, certainly not flirt with the tiefling but perhaps show more interest over time. Caleb glanced over towards the large and silent woman who was standing next to Beau who was adamantly insisting that Yasha get to eat the final sausage off of her plate.

A plan came to fruition in his head. He would need the help of one barbarian woman to make it work. That much he knew. 

__________________________________________________________

Molly dragged his tired and still slightly tipsy body up the stairs and to his room. He pushed open the door roughly and saw Fjord sitting on the bed with a book in hand as he reclined against the head rest. 

"Ahh fuck you're still here." Molly grimaced but shrugged and started to unhook his swords and take off his outer layers of clothing and fold them neatly into a little pile.

"Hi to you too." Fjord closed the book and sat up fully as Mollymauk took off his outer layers and got comfortable. It was clear that he still had some faded bruises and Fjord had been talking with Jester when Yasha had come to get her to help heal Molly. 

"I hear you had an interesting night." Molly rolled his eyes and shimmied his boots off before he jumped fully onto his own bed and relaxed with a comfortable sigh. There was a dull ache in his bones still, but oh Moonweaver Jesters magic was nice. 

"Interesting is a word. I put some assholes in their place and that was that." He was facing away from Fjord on purpose and even though he heard the man shifting he was not opening his eyes or acknowledging his presence in any way other than verbally. 

"Look Molly I... I didn't mean to pry last night. I might have overstepped my bounds. I just felt you weren't giving yourself enough credit and I think that you might be giving up on Caleb a bit too soon." The bed creaked followed by footsteps on the hardwood floor and eventually Fjord reached the door and swung it open. Molly glanced over at him and sighed. 

"Thanks Fjord." The half-Orc man nodded before he left and gently shut the door behind him leaving Molly alone with his thoughts. 

He had gone out drinking to keep his mind off the card reading and his declaration of feelings for the disheveled wizard in front of Fjord. His chest ached as he thought about the gentle fingers almost hidden inside ratty gloves that had brushed over his jaw and nose where he had been punched. They had skated gracefully over his leg before pushing just enough on the part of his thigh that had been bruised. He knew Caleb meant nothing by it, that he had simply been checking his injuries to see how bad they were but it stayed with him regardless. He had been careful and tender and slightly concerned as he had cleaned the wounds on his face and neck.

A stinging pooled behind his red eyes and he shut them tightly to block out any moisture that might try to escape. He wasn't going to cry over this, this was stupid. 

This was just plain stupid and he was tipsy and sleep deprived and all he wanted was all he couldn't have. Molly told himself not to do it but he indulged in the fantasy his mind wanted to play out for him. Sometimes he was too good at pretending and it was too easy to imagine how it would feel if Caleb slid into bed next to him and gently stroked his fingers through his hair. He would be soft and warm like Molly knew he was, but his palms had rough callouses. He had seen them and their rough texture would glide over his skin so beautifully. Caleb would turn him over and leave kisses all along his shoulder and up the tattooed side of his neck. He could picture the light constellation pattern of freckles that danced across Caleb's chest and shoulders and could practically feel how nice it would be to trace his fingers over that. 

He imagined what it would feel like to be briefly pinned under that piercing blue gaze before Caleb might look away shyly towards his mouth and good god Molly would enjoy gripping the back of his neck and pulling him in for a tender kiss that was slow and wonderful. 

Hot tears streaked down his cheeks without his permission and Molly took in a shaky breath before he banished his delusions and hid his face deep into the material of his pillow. 

Why he was torturing himself with these fantasies was unknown to him but he had been doing it for days, weeks even and each time he did this it became more painful to be near Caleb. It was almost unbearable being casual with him when they were alone and he had made efforts to make sure that they had company of some kind whenever it was just the two of them or he would make a speedy exit if he could. 

Fjord was right. This was unhealthy and he should do something about it...

But what exactly was he to do? Rejection seemed scarier and more painful than anything he could think of, even that monster they had fought at the festival wouldn't hurt as much as hearing his first crush say something awful. Like what the assholes in the bar had done. He could take that any day from strangers...but someone he cared about? That was too terrifying. 

He couldn't deal with that.


	3. Setting Plans in Motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this next chapter! Honestly this whole story took a turn i wasn't expect as I was writing it so hopefully you all like the new direction.   
> Thank you so much for all of the comments they have meant so much to me <3

Molly left his room sometime in the late afternoon. His mind was clear of all the funk from the previous night and he was ready to be fully in the moment like he normally was. These feelings were pointless and he was just going to go along for the ride like he always did. If something awesome happened that would be what happened and he would go with it and if nothing happened then he would drink a lot and try to forget about it. 

It seemed like a wholly solid plan to him. 

That was until he made it down to the tavern, all smiles and bravado, and Yasha immediately cornered him against the side of the bar. 

Fuck! This woman noticed everything. She had noticed when he left the tavern in a huff and had followed him to the other bar and had even dragged his ass back to the Leaky Tap. Truly he owed her a lot for that, but her behavior suggested that she knew something was up and Molly wasn't sure he was ready to let yet another person in on his secret. Jester already had suspicions, but he had thrown her off his trail last night. Now, here was Yasha giving him _that_ look.

"Good Morning." She slid an ale over to him and he caught it but didn't drink. Instead he tipped his head towards her all smiles and bravado. 

"Mornin darling!" They both clearly knew it was the late afternoon. He was willing to meet her sass with even more if he could get away with it. 

"So uh, want to talk about it?" Straight to the point. Good ol' Yasha.

"Nope!" He said the word rapidly and his grin practically split his face in two. The laughter was easy to fake as he sat down on the stool next to hers, spun around on it once and finally took a drink from his ale. Yasha eyed him with mild concern, but even she was having trouble figuring out if he was faking or not. That was the beauty of pretending all the time, it became impossible to tell if it was real or not, even for himself sometimes. 

"Alright." She eyed him some more before turning to her own ale. "When you're ready you know I'm always here." 

His grin softened slightly. Molly stood up and slid directly next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist comfortably and snuggled nice and close. His arms just barely reached around her broader form but he had experience hugging and cuddling with Yasha. If anyone knew how to make it work, he did. There was even perfect angle for his head to rub his chin into her neck without goring her on one of his horns. 

"I know love. I promise its nothing serious. Just some... personal things." he purred out his words in the most soothing tone he could muster and she leaned her head slightly towards him as an acknowledgement of his affections. She was his closest friend in the world and it was hard not to absolutely adore her. He would have kicked Beauregard's ass a long time ago for flirting with Yasha except that Yasha deserved to be flirted with. Also, Beau was terrible at it and he enjoyed her silent suffering. Immensely. 

Molly pulled away slightly from their embrace so he could peer around the bar for the other members of the Mighty Nein. 

"Where's the lot of them?" His tail lashed side to side lazily the jewelry clinking softly. Yasha shrugged and he felt it with their proximity. 

"Something about the gentleman needing our services." Mollymauk frowned at that as he remembered the very unfortunate first time he had been through at the evening nip. The group had all agreed from the first meeting that it was probably much better that he not return there. Unless it was to lead directly to a mission or task. Keeping Mollymauk separate from whatever it was that his past was involved in was in all of their best interests. 

"Well I'm certainly glad I wasn't invited." Yasha gave him a thoughtful look and nodded her head at that. She slid her tankard over to hit the side of Molly's and he smirked.

"I think Caleb stayed behind to catch up on some reading as well but everyone else left the tavern." Molly felt his mouth dry up at the thought of Caleb being around the premises somewhere. A quick cursory glance showed that the wizard was not buried in a book near the campfire or any of his usual booths which meant he was probably in his room. It took three more drinks of ale and Fjord’s voice chiming into his head before he set the tankard down next to Yasha’s. 

"Hold that for me darling. Or drink it. Up to you, I don't care either way." He patted her shoulder and sauntered across the bar towards the stairs. He relished in the looks he got from the patrons in there. Some were downright naughty, others reserved and he felt at least one that was hostile. Nothing new to him though. Not everyone liked a tiefling that was so un-apologetically themselves. Not many people cared for other people that were as outward as he was, tiefling or anything else. 

He liked it that way. Playing your full hand at the start allowed you to figure out exactly who you could trust. That was how he came to realize that he could become part of the family that was the Mighty Nein. While some of them thought he was strange and of course a lot to deal with, none of them sneered at his horns, or his bright clothes or his personality and piercings. They could embrace everything he was upfront and their lack of comments showed more about them than the conversation they did make. 

That was reason number one why he had started to like Caleb. He had never once questioned his appearance, said anything about it, or even treated him remotely different in any way. All of that despite how much the man clearly preferred shades of brown and comfortable pieces of clothing rather than gaudy flashy sparkling things. 

There was a likeness in the way they wore their personalities and for the purpose it served. Molly had a feeling that their tactics were similar. 

Caleb tried to keep unwanted people away by literally being filthy, covered in dirt and grime, and things people with prejudices would turn their noses up at. He looked unappealing because he didn't care, but also because it kept those that may not actually care about him as a person at bay. Nobody thought you were a stupidly powerful wizard when you were covered in dirt and shit.

Mollymauk, similarly, wore everything on the outside that he was inside. He was charm and jewelry and prettiness with a sharp tongue and two blades that could cut you in half. He was delicate flowers and a vibrant peacock but also a serpent ready to strike when cornered or pressured. His two years of life was telegraphed across his entire body in tattoos and clothes and piercings and a smile sharp enough to draw blood. If someone could look at him in his entirety and accept it and not worry about why he did it all, then they were more likely than not, a good person. People like him were either immediately rejected upon appearance as a freak or a weirdo. Which he loved being called, absolutely adored the term. Or, they were accepting and curious and interested in everything he was. It was actually quite straight forward. 

It saved him the trouble of having to play nice with ugly people, and he didn't mean ugly in looks. 

Molly had only lived two years, but he felt a wisdom in his bones beyond that. Maybe it was because he had lived previously and some of those lessons had stuck with him, or maybe it was because he was so determined to not make the same mistakes that the asshole who got buried six feet made. 

He knew what kinds of people he wanted in his life and the kinds he wanted nothing to do with. Strangely enough he had originally considered Beauregard someone he didn't want to deal with, but it became clear fairly quickly that she just had a tough attitude to hide how much she really cared. It was kind of hilarious to torment her now that he knew what she really thought of everyone that she either barked at or made a snarky comment towards. He considered them friends now, but he would cut his own tongue out with his scimitar before he would admit it. That would be way too easy for Beau and she needed to work a little hard to earn any verbal confirmation from him.

More than anything he had known that Caleb had accepted his appearance, maybe been a little taken aback by the shine and glamour of it, but he had never questioned it. Molly knew he was a lot at first, he was very aware that it could be overwhelming. 

Caleb had also been the first to end the impromptu and horrible interrogation of his skeletal past that Jester had thrust zone of truth on. He had also said his name. His full chosen name, and that meant more to him than anyone in the group probably knew. Except maybe Yasha.

Caleb was kind and he was a good person with amazing qualities and it wasn't fair that he felt this strongly about him. The wizard didn’t even know.

Regardless he was going up to visit Caleb because he owed him an apology and a thank you for his early attentions to his own stupid mistakes. 

Mollymauk reached the second-floor landing and saw that the door to Caleb and Nott's room was shut. He took a deep breath, steeled his nerves and smacked his knuckles upon the door in a jovial knock. He waited for a moment before leaning in towards the door slightly. 

"Caleb? May I come in?" There was silence on the other side before Molly heard shuffling. 

"Ja, it is open." He took one more deep breath before he turned the handle and took a few steps into the room. There, sitting on the edge of the bed with a few journals out on the bedspread, was Caleb. He seemed to have shifted a few things around and Molly felt himself grinning. 

"Am I interrupting something?" He made sure to layer his voice with the context of something more as he slid into the room and shut the door softly behind himself. He walked gracefully over towards the bed and with a spin and a flip of his hands, sat down next to Caleb and leaned backwards on his hands. For all intents and purposes, Mollymauk looked relaxed as hell. Caleb was surprisingly not turning red in the face at all and instead he chuckled softly. 

"Nothing important. Just making some notes about things that the party can improve upon." Molly looked around but everything was written in Caleb's native tongue so he couldn't understand any of it.

"Always working hard. You should take a break more often. Relax and enjoy yourself. Life is much shorter than you might think Caleb dear." Caleb looked confused for a moment and scanned the bed with his gaze. Eventually his eyes rest on Molly’s face, his cheekbones just below his eyes.

"This is relaxing for me." Molly felt his face start to heat up but he ignored it as best he could. The stupid part of his brain was dancing happily at the fact they were having a conversation between just the two of them. It was annoying that it made his heart beat very quickly and his hands shook slightly. He buried the offending appendages under his thighs so that they wouldn't be noticed.

"Of course it is Caleb. Why am I not surprised." He grinned and cleared his throat, shifting, but keeping his hands hidden, so that he could angle his body towards the wizard proper. "So..."

"What is it Mollymauk." The way he said his name had his tail slithering along the top of the bed in a pleased manner without his consent. Molly casually slid one of his hands out and gripped the offending appendage and pulled it white knuckled towards his side. It felt warm in here but he was sure that was just him struggling to breathe in the presence of someone he found so...well... wonderful.

"Ah. Yes I uh.... wanted to, to tell you...uh...t-tell…" He pursed his lips. "Shit, this is hard..." He felt a little light headed and this was ruining his entire image of being calm and collected. With a deep breath he glanced up towards Caleb's eyes and found that he couldn't keep the gaze and had to look down at his lap. Wow, he had never felt this cowardly before in all his two years of life.

"You can tell me Molly." Caleb's voice was calm and Molly took a deep breath and reminded himself that he was not confessing his undying love he was just going to say thank you. 

"Right. I’m getting there. I uh wanted to thank you for this morning. You didn't have to try and help me like that and I already thanked Jester so... Thanks. I truly appreciate it." He managed a small smile up at Caleb and he noticed the shock and confusion there. Molly bit his bottom lip thinking maybe he had gone too far. "Uh, did I say something weird?" 

Caleb quickly schooled his expression and cleared his throat. 

"No, no you're fine. You are very welcome and do not think too much of it. I would do the same for any of the Nein." He shifted awkwardly and Mollymauk felt something in his chest sink inwards. Right, of course he would do that for any of them. Caleb cared about the group quite a bit and it made sense. He wanted to punch himself for feeling special at all and letting his heart think it was a special circumstance. 

The air grew heavy and Molly stood up suddenly as he couldn't take the stalemate anymore. His hands were shaking visibly and he caught Caleb staring at them. That was his cue to go. 

"Right! well glad I got that off my chest!" He laughed and brushed his hair back behind his ear and adjusted his cloak to give his hands something to do other than shake and in general give away his state of nervousness. "I’ll leave you to your studying and uh... be on my way! You know, fortunes and tarot cards and things to do." He went to make a hasty exit but something caught his wrist and he almost stumbled as his momentum was stopped. 

"Molly." He closed his eyes as a fresh wave of pain washed over him at that tone of voice. It was laced with concern and worry but for all the wrong reasons. That voice was one of friendship and concern for his wellbeing as someone who relied on him, it wasn't the concern he wanted to hear. It wasn't the intimate voice or whispered words he wanted to hear from Caleb and it hurt so badly. 

What hurt more was that he didn't let himself turn around like he wanted. He stayed with feet firmly planted and wrist caught in the grasp of one Caleb Widogast. 

"What." It came out a harsh whisper and he had to hold his trembling bottom lip between his teeth. 

"You are shaking. What is wrong. There is something bothering you, even Jester can tell, she mentioned it this morning. What is going on?" He bit harder on his lip with every word and closed his eyes tighter. Pretending that this could end in any way he wanted it to even though he knew deep down that it wouldn't was useless. There was no reason to light the flame of hope in his chest only to have it extinguished time and time again. In that moment, Molly hated Fjord just a little, for encouraging him at all. 

"It's nothing... and even if it was something I couldn't tell you." There was a commotion downstairs and sounds of chairs scraping and being pushed in as presumably the party returned. He pulled on all his internal goodwill and energy to turn and flash a brilliant smile at Caleb as he slid his wrist from his grasp. "I’ll be fine darling. Plus I think our merry band of misfits have returned!" He slipped easily from the room and made his way quickly down the stairs, pretending to have a jovial skip in his step as he went right up to Fjord and slung an arm around his shoulders. 

"You're back! What did our perspiring friend have to tell us today hm?" He was all grins and happiness as everyone greeted his presence and he heard them acknowledge Caleb behind him once the wizard joined the group. He didn't spend long on that side and quickly engaged Jester in conversation as she went on and on about how much moisture dripped off the Gentleman’s nose and that she counted at least seven water droplets. It was easy to bounce off the energy of everyone in the room and pretend that nothing had happened. He totally wasn't shaking and he hadn't almost completely screwed everything up. He needed this family to work, he didn't have anything else. There was no point to fix something that wasn’t broken. 

No matter what the Wheel of Fortune had implied the previous night.

_____________________________________________________________________

Caleb let the lavender wrist in his hand slide free as Mollymauk left in a whirlwind of nerves, panic and bullshit. He stared at his open palm for a long time before he sighed and clenched it slowly into a fist. That was not how he had wanted that encounter to go. Firstly, he had been preparing to seek Mollymauk out himself and had been caught off guard when he suddenly showed up at his room. 

He had almost thought, that for a second Molly had been going to say it out loud. Instead Caleb was met with genuine gratitude, which he was of course happy for, but there was something about the anticipation of the words he had subconsciously wanted to hear that had made the whole conversation feel incredibly flat. Lackluster.

Caleb reached over and slid a journal out from the pile of books and ran his fingers down the page. In Zemnian it held his thoughts, specifically his thoughts about one Mollymauk Tealeaf. At the bottom of the page there was the beginnings of a plan. He had deciphered his own emotions and weighed the pros and cons and this little encounter had solidified his decision. Mollymauk was suffering and he was an idiot and it was probably Caleb's jobs to keep him from self-destructing because he clearly did not know how to deal with romance. At all. 

It was like watching a bar fight in slow motion but Mollymauk was fighting himself. Someone needed to intervene and stop him from sacrificing himself again and again for the greater good of the Nein.

Caleb himself was definitely no expert on love and he was struggling because he had meant to say so much in that moment they had just shared. Not only had he chased Molly off but he had also failed to say anything of value at all. 

With a resounding snap he closed the journal and walked towards the door. The clattering and voices downstairs were excited and he could already hear Jester recounting something exciting in her most rushed of voices. The less Jester breathed in a sentence the more exciting the news.

If Caleb was going to fix this problem between himself and Mollymauk then he would need some help and he knew just who to ask. 

He descended the stairs and made a beeline for the larger woman at the bar with a sword strapped to her back as per usual. Yasha could help him find a chance to fix this. After all she knew the teifling better than anyone. Probably even better than he knew himself.

He was intercepted by the calamity of the group as they explained what the gentleman had wanted from them and Caleb reluctantly sat down with the group as Fjord addressed those that had not tagged along.

"Our mutual friend...ahem." Fjord cleared his throat and gave the group a look clearly showing who he was talking about. "Is willing to pay us handsomely if we investigate a string of rather odd occurrences inside a brothel in the Trispires." Caleb just about choked on his own spit as he stared at Fjord. 

"Wait. In a Brothel?" Fjord nodded to him and shrugged his shoulders. 

"Makes me a bit uncomfortable too, but this location is apparently under his uh, control and they collect a lot of information through it. Recently things have been disappearing and information is being leaked and our friend is worried that someone inside is giving away their secrets." Jester chimed over from her chair excitedly. 

"So, he can't use his own men because it could be anyone! It's our job to find out who it is!" She sounded way too excited about the idea that they would be working undercover in a brothel in the Trispires. 

"Wait, so how exactly are we thinking of infiltrating the brothel?" It was Molly who chimed up from the chair he was perched on. His tail was curiously flicking from side to side. Caleb watched as the entire group turned to face Mollymauk at once. The tieflings tail stilled and he quirked an eyebrow at the group in interest. 

"Well..." 

Fjord started to speak but Beauregard cut him to the chase. 

"Molly has to be a whore and the rest of us are going to be customers." Caleb feel something warm in the pit of his chest as his eyes also shifted over to where Molly was sitting.

The tiefling for all his confidence and bravado seemed a little taken aback at first. His mouth was open in a surprised o and he snapped it closed with a small shrug. Slowly a creeping grin lit up his face as he eyed the group. Mischief was alight in his gaze. 

"I mean, I'm flattered that you all think I'm so sexy; but why me?" He did not seem the elast bit put out by having to play the role of a brothel worker. Beau scoffed from where she sat and rolled her eyes. 

"Because it’s a tiefling brothel and all the workers are male." That seemed to sink in and he nodded in understanding. Tieflings were popular for their horns and tails and general sex appeal, he didn't think that Zadash had a particular affinity for them, but it only made sense. Of course that is why Mollymauk would be the one to infiltrate that way. Not because he was clearly the sexiest and most appealing of the group. Although Caleb thought that to be very true it was clear that Beau’s explanation made a lot of sense. Caleb's mind was turning gears in his head as the twinkling of an idea started to form in his brilliant mind. 

"Of course, the rest of us will be in the brothel with you Molly but it will be your job to go where we can't behind the scenes. We were also thinking that one of us could be your customer to help alleviate any suspicions-"

"I will do it." Caleb was surprised by the strength of his own voice as he cut off Fjord. Apparently so was everyone else and Molly, bless his heart had turned the darkest shade of purple Caleb had ever seen him turn. He felt like a fool for not noticing how Molly had felt about him previously with reactions like that. It almost made Caleb want to do it more, but alas he was not a flirt and he was bad with words. He would have to do this his own way.

The rest of the group was blatantly staring at him and he blinked and came out of his head to look away from their confused and slightly concerned gazes. He also lowered his gaze from a deep embarrassed Mollymauk in the background. Staring too much would give him away to the group.

"What? I have strong magic and Nott and I can use message as many times as we want, which will make communicating between the two groups very easy. You are all looking at me like I suggested we kill Mollymauk." He raised an eyebrow at them, doing his absolute best to not falter in his plan.

"That actually makes a lot of sense. Just didn't think you would be the type to volunteer for that." Fjord glanced between him and Mollymauk and Caleb hoped that Fjords intellect would not connect any dots just yet.

"Ja, well there is a lot you still don't know about me Fjord." His lips twitched slightly with a smile as he stood up from the seat he had claimed. "When do we need to infiltrate this establishment?" 

"The gentleman said we should start as soon as possible. So, I say we get Molly in there tomorrow and maybe take shifts visiting him on the day we are gathering information." Jester had pulled a slightly stale pastry out of the haversack and was eating it without a pause in her speech. 

"We can also take shifts visiting the brothel and just keeping our ears open tomorrow." Beau and Fjord made eye contact and nodded, seemingly agreeing upon the plan together. 

"It sounds like we're agreeing upon the day after tomorrow then? Tomorrow we get Molly in and keep and ear out and then we will do most of the investigating the following day." Nott spoke up from where she was digging through all of her various buttons and things and stared up at the group. Everyone around the table nodded except for Mollymauk who was staring at the table with a completely blank expression. “Do we want Caleb in there two days in a row?” Nott looked over at him nervously and he shrugged in response. 

“Might be better if they think he is already getting a return customer on his second day.” Two opportunities to work his plan. This was in his favor. Except that Mollymauk was still staring at the table like his world was crashing in around him.

Caleb sent Frumpkin over to him and the cat brushed up against his legs and pulled him from the thoughts he was in. 

"Mollymauk, are you okay with this plan?"

The lavender tiefling blinked and met Caleb's eyes but the wizard was unable to keep the eye contact because he feared his cheeks might heat up and color. He was still trying to figure out the half-formed plan in his head. His secret plan that was only for him to know. 

Caleb had no doubts they would figure out who the rat in the brothel was with very little problems. No, he was way more focused on getting to spend time, alone with Mollymauk to figure out where they were on the subject of feelings. No better place than a brothel in the middle of a mission, right?

However, if he was going to do that he needed some help first. 

"Yeah plan sounds good. Sounds mighty fine. I have absolutely zero problems with this plan." Molly leaned back in his chair placing both feet onto the table, to which Fjord made a disgruntled expression. Always a man for manners.

"Good." 

The group split off into pairs as they discussed different aspects of the plan and Caleb watched Jester make a leap at Molly with excitement radiating off of her. 

"Molly! You know what we get to do now?" Her tone was excitable and he heard Molly groan as she latched onto his arm and started pulling him towards the door. "We get to buy you a new and suuuuper sexy outfit!" She turned to the group. "Molly and I are going shopping! If anyone wants to join us follow me!" She immediately launched into topics that involved the words lace, revealing and tight leather. Caleb tuned out because the heat on his neck was creeping up his face and he did not want his brain to supply any more images than it already had. 

As Jester and Beau dragged Mollymauk towards the doorway, he made eye contact with Caleb and the teifling mouthed the words _'Save me'_ at him. Caleb laughed and shrugged before waving at him as he was pulled out of the tavern. Beauregard was going simply to antagonize Molly and Caleb could only imagine what they were about to go through.

However, that aside, Caleb had his own plans and he continued towards his original goal of the evening. Yasha. 

She had settled down in a chair around their shared table and he sunk into the one next to hers. 

At first Yasha seemed a little startled but in her own way she relaxed and nodded towards him. They shared an understanding of social awkwardness and honestly that was a gift in this group considering how... bright everyone was. Literally bright. This was the flashiest group he had ever encountered in his life and it was difficult to stand out so much all the time. For him at least.

"Hello Caleb. What can I do for you?" She had an ale in hand and Caleb almost wished he had one as well to ease the conversation they were about to have. 

"Hi. Uh yes well..." And as per usual there went his understanding of Common and his ability to speak it. Wow he was truly bad at this. "I have a few questions for you. Well, not really questions more a request?" his voice lilted as if he were unsure of his own words but Yasha did not comment or make any weird faces. She stared straight through him and just nodded.

"Okay. I’ll answer what I can." Her presence and lack of judgement helped him relax and he felt his words come easier. He knew it had been a good idea to approach her instead of any of the others for help. 

"I want to know what Mollymauk likes." She blinked at him and put her ale down on the table. Her posture shifted and she sat up straighter and wow Caleb just now remembered how tall and strong she was. 

"What Molly likes? Why? Can't you just ask him yourself?" Caleb shifted nervously.

"I cannot. Because I am trying to put something together for him. A surprise I guess you could say. Something special for him." That was the best way he could describe this plan of his and he smiled softly to himself as he thought about it. Yasha was giving him a look that seemed to carry more information than she was letting on but she nodded and turned to face him squarely in the chair. 

"Okay, I can help you but I have my own request first." Caleb nodded because that was only fair. A favor for a favor. 

"He's kind of an idiot sometimes.” She paused and let that sink in before her tone turned deadly serious. “Can I trust you with him?" Neither of them were making eye contact but the weight of her words sat heavy in his chest and they both knew what this conversation was about. He understood Yasha at a level that only someone with social anxiety and an inability to communicate normally could. All their cards were on the table but to a normal person it appeared blank. Weird how one could have a conversation within a conversation like they were.

Yasha wanted to know that he was serious and not just messing around. In no more than six words she was offering him a place next to Mollymauk and her trust with her best friend. He was incredibly grateful for it. 

It felt important enough that Caleb met her eyes and held her gaze, something that made them both incredibly uncomfortable. This was important enough for both to break that personal rule. 

"Yes. You can trust me with him completely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huehuehue... Now we really get to have fun.  
> Also, is it Thursday yet?


	4. Brothels and Emotions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit! I've added many new stories to my lists and I'm also moving in the next two weeks so writing time will be limited. Let me know what you think!

"Molly you can't hide in there forever! I know you like to show off please come show us what you're wearing. Please please please!" Jester was begging with a teasing lilt to her voice. He could hear Beau grumbling about not wanting to see too much of him and well, that was going to be difficult considering the outfit that had picked out for him. 

Jester had decided that leather was the way to go and he wondered where she had even found this shop and how she knew it existed. Regardless he was kind of enjoying the trip and he was having fun playing with the idea of working at a brothel for a few days. What kept tripping him up was that whatever he wore...Caleb was going to be seeing up close and personal. A week ago he would have been jumping at the chance but that was before he had developed...feelings. Now he cared if Caleb was uncomfortable around him, he cared that Caleb approved of his clothing and liked him in it. This was literally the worst. 

"I don't even know if I want to see this. It's going to be burned into my brain permanently." He heard Beau's voice followed by giggling from Jester. 

Mollymauk sighed and took one last look in the mirror. He liked this look, it was a little strong and he didn't know if the girls would approve but it was definitely alluring in a completely 'no funny business I will have sex with you' kind of way. He realized with a sinking feeling that this was the exact kind of outfit that would have Caleb red faced and actually running in the opposite direction from him. Great.

He took one last look at the impossibly tight leather pants laced openly all the way up the sides so his creamy lavender skin showed through with pieces of floral designs on his leg. The top was basically non-existent as it was just two leather straps that crisscrossed over his pecs and attached the a plain black collar at his neck. The unnerving part was that this outfit was definitely something he was in to and Jester had picked it out without any hesitation. She was more knowledgeable than he gave her credit for. 

Damn, that was the second person in the mighty Nein he had been blindsided by recently. He really needed to stop assuming things.

It was the leather wrist cuffs with the chains dangling from the ends that got to him though. God he loved manacles. 

With zero shame he checked out his own ass in the slightly dusty mirror before grinning and leaving the small changing stall. He sauntered over to where the girls sat and gave a very slow and taunting turn before brandishing his hands out to the sides flamboyantly in front of them. The chains clinked together and swayed with the motion.

"Ta da! What do you think?" He grinned and his jewelry on his horns jingled slightly.

Beauregard looked like someone had slapped her with a fish, a very wet and smelly fish and Jester would have had stars in her eyes if it was possible. 

"Oh that one looks so incredibly sexy! Beau did you see his ass!?" She tugged on the monks sleeve excitedly before bouncing over to look at him from all sides and angles. He lavished in the attention because it gave him a pleasing feeling under his skin to be appreciated for his beauty. He was practically preening under it.

"I'm regretting coming." Molly couldn't contain his laughter at Beaus expense. 

"Come on Beauregard, you don't want to see this side of me?" he teased with a smirk. She made a sour expression.

"I try not to see any side of you." Jester giggled at their antics before she paced back towards his front. 

"So do we think this is the one pastry queen? You seem to like it an awful lot." He watched her expression carefully as he thought of the other two outfits that he had tried on. She pursed her lips and he quirked his eyebrow at her.

"Hm, I like it but I think that it is too strong for its purpose. You might have to deal with some very interesting people if we put you in that. Everyone will assume you know what you're doing with that kind of look." Molly gasped in fake shock and placed an offended hand on his chest. 

"Are you implying that I don't have experience with this? Because I can assure you that I do." Jester just shook her head. 

"I know you have experience with sex, but having experience and selling an experience are very different things. Besides we don't actually want you to have any customers besides Caleb. Might be difficult because of how pretty you are though. Hm, maybe if..."She started walking off into the shop muttering to herself about types of men, and the style of the establishment and Mollymauk dropped his posture and arms with a heavy sigh. Beauregard groaned and flopped down in a plush antique chair. 

"We've been here for a whole hour already, this is almost as bad as Caleb at the library."

"Hey at least you didn't have to put stockings on. Those were way too tight." He pulled at one of the straps on his chest, it was just a little snug and honestly it kept rubbing at his nipple and he had a feeling it was designed that way on purpose.

"I thought you liked the lace?" Beau gave him a snarky grin and he rolled his eyes at her and bared his fangs playfully. 

"Keep it up Beau and ill convince Jester to make you try something on." She paled a little at the threat but couldn't retort because Jester came hurtling back with fabric in her hands and it was shiny and silky and all different colors of teals and greens and blues with gold accents and okay he didn't hate it. 

"Here, here! Put this on right now it is perfect and I need to see it!" She almost knocked him over in her enthusiasm and draped his arms with the fabric. She finished adorning him with the cloth and shoved him in the direction of the changing room again. "Go i think this is the one, it is very exotic and my mother used to wear something similar and it was the prettiest!"

Mollymauk didn't know how he felt about being compared to Jester's mother, but the woman seemed nice enough and she cared about Jester so he took it in stride and waltzed back over to the dressing room. He carefully placed the pile of fabric onto the chair in the room and started to pull the pieces apart into what exactly they were. 

They were certainly beautiful in shimmering shades of peacock green and teal blue with gold accents. He figured out eventually that the longest sheer pieces were pants of some kind except they weren't really pants. There were very small dark blue and purple shorts that were skin tight and had openly laced sides, but over them the sheer teal and green fabric draped in front and behind. The design with the open laces on the sides left his hips completely bare besides the laces. The floral tattoo design down the side of his left hip to his thigh showed through beautifully and the gold laces and accent patterns shimmered in the light. The entire piece was very low cut, showing off both v lines that were like arrows pointing to his groin and the back, Oh yes the back. It was so low in the back he didn't even need a place for his tail because it scooped under it and hugged his ass like it was made just for him. Suddenly incredibly excited about the flashy design of this costume and the way the blues and greens played against his lavender skin, he grabbed the top piece and slipped the vest on eagerly. 

The top was another green and blue piece that was a small open vest design but it had loops of beads and gold chains that hung from the base over the embroidered fabric over his chest and stomach and it was just decadent. There were wrist cuffs and the one he put on his left wrist was attached to one of the sheer long bottom pieces so that when he lifted his wrist the fabric flowed outwards with a flourishing movement.

He was practically giddy with excitement at the gaudiness and beauty of this outfit. It didn't take any prompting from Jester this time before he was sliding out of the dressing room and spinning in a whirl of beautiful fabric right into Beauregard. He popped his hip into hers and sent her stumbling to the side before he struck a pose that he hoped screamed 'ravish me now'. He was playing the role of an escort after all.

"I love it and we're buying it and I'm wearing it every day for the rest of my life. You cannot stop me Beau."

Jester practically screamed in excitement as she saw him and she was already bouncing around looking at him from all angles and the review was one hundred percent smiles and adoration. He trusted her judgement and his own was flawless and clearly this was the right choice. 

"Yes this is the one! Molly you really pull it off so well." She grabbed his hand and started dragging him over towards another counter to pick out new jewelry to go with the outfit. Beau groaned as she realized that they were going to be taking even more time. In the excitement of it all Molly almost completely forgot about how nervous he was to be playing this part in front of Caleb of all people.

 __________________________________________________________

It was almost another hour before they made their way back towards the leaky tap and dusk was descending upon Zadash. Mollymauk had his outfit and all of the new accessories for it tucked carefully into a small cloth bag that he was carrying. He was practically beaming at they entered. 

Fjord and Yasha looked up from the game of cards they were currently playing and the half orc raised an eyebrow. 

"I take it the shopping trip was successful?" Fjord played a card from his hand and Yasha pursed her lips at his move. Molly spared their game a glance and noticed that she was losing quite badly. His attention return to Fjord as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder and leaned down towards his ear with a wicked grin. 

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He chuckled and slid away with a turn that made the ends of his coat flair outwards with a practiced ease. He sauntered over to the stairs to go put the outfit into the room he shared with Fjord. Molly could hear Fjord spluttering behind him, no doubt embarrassed and flushed a nice dark green. Gods he loved messing with that man, and if he hadn't signed off on him due to Jester's interest he would have teased him more. Also there were the complications with his own feelings.

Fuck those.

Jester and Beau sat down at the table below and while Beauregard slumped to the table like her life had been drained Jester was almost as happy as Mollymauk. 

"Fjord your face is getting dark. Oh i can only imagine how embarrassed you'll be tomorrow when you actually see the outfit!" She cackled and nudged him with her elbow and he just shook his head and turned back to his card game. Yasha was smirking slightly to herself as if she knew all too well how Mollymauk must have looked. He'd tried on Orna's costumes multiple times before he'd found his own style and honestly very little he did could surprise the large woman at this point. 

"I'm sure Molly is going to look great for the mission. I'm just glad he's feeling better." Fjord played three cards and decimated Yasha's hand with one go. Her mouth dropped open and she threw her cards on the table in defeat with a huff. 

"You noticed that he's been acting funny recently too?" Jester shifted onto her knees in her chair and half leaned on Fjord. Her concern was barely masked by her excitement at the prospect of gossip but the topic did get the attention of the group. 

"Yeah, he's been less happy. Thinking more than normal, which is concerning." Nott chimed up from behind her large never emptying flask.

From the end of the table, nose buried in his book Caleb glanced up at the group as they spoke. He had immediately noticed the return of the Tiefling's and Beauregard and had been quietly observing. Needless to say he'd quickly opened his book to try and keep thoughts about whatever outfit Mollymauk had bought out of his mind. He had a lot of material to imagine with in his head, and it had taken all of his concentration all day to keep that dangerous tangent of thought far from the center of his mind. However, this conversation he was very interested in.

Fjord let out a sigh and Caleb narrowed his eyes at the man. Caleb feared for a moment that he was going to speak up, but Yasha spoke before he could work out the words to do so. 

"He's fine. Just learning some new things about himself. It happens sometimes." everyone stared at her and she stiffened considerably at the attention. 

"What do you mean Yasha? Has he been researching like Caleb?" Jester leaned on the table towards the woman her tail flicking in the air happily behind her. She wasn't even attempting to sit in the chair anymore, half standing on the poor thing. 

"Yeah, how does learning new things make you act weird? You just learn it." Beau had gotten herself a tankard and was sipping at it thoughtfully. 

"Well I mean. I don't feel comfortable elaborating too much but he is...new to a lot of things. Sometimes new feelings and experiences catch him off guard because unlike a lot of us he doesn't know what to do with them. Like the first time he ever got jealous, he didn't know what it was and it was..." She laughed softly. "Well it was amusing." 

Caleb felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place with Yasha's statement and he snapped the book closed with a thunk and set it on the table. A cursory glance at the rest of the party showed that they were all feeling out the new information. Jester looked conflicted, Fjord was looking sheepishly down at his hands, Nott's brow was furrowed in thought and Beau seemed more interested in leaning in to watch Yasha speak than the content of her words. 

"That explains the festival." Eyes looked over towards him and Caleb gazed at the edges of his book so he didn't have to make eye contact. "He was the most excited out of all of us. He's probably never been to one without working it for the circus before. Most of us grew up with festivals in our towns but he wouldn't remember if he had ever been before." He swallowed as he let his words sink into the group around them. 

"I never thought about it like that. He is always so good at seeming like he knows exactly what is going on all the time! How does he do that!" Jester groaned in frustration.

"Yeah and he nailed that bag toss like he'd done it a million times." Fjord chimed in and there was a distinctly sour note to his voice when he mentioned the carnival game they had partaken in. 

"He loves learning new things. Sometimes they're just overwhelming." Yasha shrugged and finished off her ale with a hearty chug.

The group quieted down as they spent some time thinking about it and Caleb slid his gaze over to Fjord. Beau spoke before he could breech a new subject.

"So the question is. What is he experiencing now that is new to him and has him shaken up?" Beau looked at Yasha with a confused expression but Mollymauk took that moment to come waltzing down the stairs happily and the group readily shut up for the moment. Caleb cringed at the obviousness.

"I know I'm pretty and it renders most people speechless, but you lot are only ever this silent when you've been caught talking shit." He slid into the chair next to Yasha and wrapped his claws on the table as he eyed all of them. "Spill." his gaze immediately pinned Jester, which was a good call because she was usually very forthcoming with information. Beau beat her to it with a snarky reply.

"We were talking about how you've been weird and Yasha said you get that way when you experience new things you haven't dealt with before. So what the hell has you all fucked up Molly?"

Caleb wanted to jump to Molly's rescue and he watched Fjord clench a fist next to his thigh. Neither of them were brave enough to step up to his defense and both were forced to sit and watch as Molly's expression fell slightly. 

"Oh. Yeah that does happen. It's not really your concern though." his wicked smiled spread on his face as he leaned his chin into his palm and flicked his tail at Beau. "To be quite honest every day is full of new and exciting things for me and I love every second of it." His mask was strong, but Caleb could tell that it was still a front and his gaze at Beau was more of a challenge than anything else. 

"What beau was trying to say I think, was that we want to help you if we can and we're concerned." Fjord spoke up and glared at Beau who snorted and rolled her eyes with a shrug. Molly looked at Fjord for a very long time and his eyes flickered towards Caleb for a split second, but Caleb was already staring and he could tell that the eye contact caught the tiefling off guard. Caleb spoke up, unable to watch Molly's tail thrash behind him with barely contained emotions anymore.

"As long as he says he is fine I see no reason to press the issue. I think it is more fitting if in the last few moments of the day we discuss our plans for tomorrow." He watched carefully as relief flooded over Molly's face and everyone shifted in their chairs as the conversation was deliberately changed. 

From there the topic dissolved as more drinks were passed out and a loose plan was developed for the morning. As everyone was heading towards their respective rooms for the night Caleb rubbed at his face warily and closed his journal where he had been copying over some spells. A hand settled on his shoulder and he instinctively flinched, a long suffering habit he had developed from looking over his shoulder for so many years. Severe paranoia did strange things to a man.

The hand withdrew at his flinch and he looked up to see Mollymauk hovering near his shoulder with a half lifted hand and small smile on his face. 

"Hey."

Caleb blinked up at him for a moment, debating in his head before he deliberately turned in his chair to open his posture towards Mollymauk. He very carefully observed the reaction and was not disappointed. The tiefling seemed to still for a moment before accepting the invitation and sitting on the arm of the high backed chair. His expression was guarded and slightly confused but a little pleased none the less. Caleb might have been having a little too much fun with the upper hand in their interactions now. 

"Hallo, what can I do for you Mollymauk." Molly smiled softly and laced his fingers together in front of himself as he hummed in thought. 

"Thanks Caleb. That's the second time you've ended a conversation I wasn't enjoying." His gaze lifted and blue met pools of endless red and Caleb did everything in his power to maintain the eye contact as they breathed the air trapped in the scant space between their faces. He had to break it after a moment and look to his lap.

"You would have done the same for me and..." Caleb ran his fingers absently through the fur of Frumpkin who had taken up residence on his lap during the evening. "I get it, you know. I get not wanting everyone to know everything and being scared when things do not happen that you expect." He paused and glanced between where Molly had his leg on the arm of the chair and he took a leap of faith and very gently placed his hand on the tieflings thigh. "I understand Mollymauk." He looked up again and made eye contact and he wished he hadn't because he did not feel worthy to be on the receiving end of so much adoration.

It was only for a moment and then it was gone but Caleb was not deserving of that kind of look. It reminded him of the only other time he'd been given that look but those thoughts...those memories he did his best to keep under lock and key. They weren't useful now, just painful. 

Mollymauk had shifted in on himself slightly and he gently lifted a clawed hand and hesitated, seemingly asking for permission before he settled his hand over Caleb's gently. Gods but his hand was warm and it felt damn nice. 

"Thank you Caleb." The words were whispered just under his breath and Caleb felt they were almost sacred in that space. That he meant more by them than just as a simple thank you. 

He twisted his hand in the other grasp and laced their fingers together to give him a reassuring squeeze. He loosened his grip afterwards suddenly feeling awkward at the contact.

"Ja, it is no problem." Caleb cleared his throat and shifted, making a very grumpy Frumpkin jump onto the floor and Mollymauk lifted his hand up and away. 

"Well, i'll see you tomorrow. Big day right? It will be exciting." Molly's grin was bright and almost blinding as he stood up from the chair. he muttered a soft goodnight before traipsing away towards the stairs. 

Caleb was left staring at his hand in stunned silence as the heat slowly crawled up his neck and he sunk into his coat. His heart was squeezing uncomfortably in his chest and he closed his eyes and gripped a hand over his chest. 

"Shiza" This was not part of the plan. At this rate he was going to be as bad off as Mollymauk was. 

______________________________________________________

The next day opened on a beautifully warm morning, and the troupe roused early in order to get themselves ready for their various parts in the plan. Mollymauk and Jester set out first and foremost towards the bath house because they wanted to ensure that Molly was as clean and presentable as possible to get into the brothel and be hired for his, services.

They reached the gates of the Trispires and were quickly waved through by a flustered guard at their explanation of where they were going. Jester did not miss the way that the man stared after Mollymauk as he walked ahead with determination and excitement in his eyes. 

"Oh my goodness that guard was definitely in to you." Molly scoffed and rolled his eyes. 

"Everyone is in to me. That's why I'm the one going to work at the brothel." Jester snorted and shoved him playfully as they walked down the beautiful clean and decorated streets. The Trispires were glistening in the early morning sunshine and it was so beautiful. Jester looked over and noticed that Molly's face had fallen slightly and she grabbed his arm and wrapped her hands around it. 

"Hey whats wrong? You're not nervous are you?" She stared up at him and watched his mouth twist into a confused expression. He seemed to struggle for words for just a moment. 

"No. Well yes. I mean not about the job, that's easy I'm nervous about...something else." his voice softened and he rested a hand on the bag he had next to his hip with the costume tucked away inside. 

"Are you nervous about Caleb?" She watched as he stiffened from head to the tip of his tail and shot her a gaze that was both terribly open but super guarded. She wasn't surprised in the least however. She had been observing Mollymauk for the past couple of days and she had been putting the pieces together slowly.

"Caleb, why would I be nervous about Caleb?" He was very obviously nervous about Caleb.

"Oh Molly it's fine! I'm not going to tell him. Besides I think he already knows. You know that i saw him looking at you almost the entire night last night? He kept staring at you and making sure you were okay. It was very sweet." She grinned from ear to ear and nudged him with his shoulder as they walked along. To anyone who didn't know them they might have assumed that they were in love and in a way they were. Mollymauk would have died for Jester in a heart beat and she was always there for him. If he'd had a childhood, he would have wanted Jester as a sister. 

Mollymauk was still looking uncomfortable but he had a pleased smile on his face as he looked off into the distance. It was the smile that people wore when they were trying not to let hope settle in their hearts. Jester knew it well.

"Was he now? I find that difficult to believe." Jester groaned in aggravation as the brothel and their final destination loomed in front of them at the next street corner. Boys were so stupid when it came to romance.

"You should believe it because I think you are being silly! You are so good at being you and taking charge of things and I don't understand how you can be so shy about something like this?" Molly blinked at her and rolled his eyes. 

"It's not me whom is shy. I don't want to give him a heart attack, i have a feeling that he's probably had enough of those in his lifetime."

"I don't think he is as timid as you think." She gave him a knowing look and Molly smiled back at her. He hoped she was right.

"Well I'll be sure to take your advice when I see him next. If he's even okay with walking into the room." He bit at his bottom lip with his teeth as he thought about how this was probably going to play out. They reached the establishment and he pulled every silver tongued trick he knew as they talked to the clerk at the counter. It was indeed a male brothel that featured mostly tieflings but Molly did notice one half orc male and a two dragonborn which made him realize that Fjord had probably declined adamantly about being the worker and passed the buck to him. 

Figures.

He was left to fill out some forms and the clerk seemed to really like him because he was hired on the spot and told to go get changed and ready for the day. He thanked the older woman profusely and she just laughed and patted his hands before she went back to her documents that she was sorting to prepare for the day of customers. 

Molly turned to Jester and gave her a beaming smile as they stood near the entrance. She was playing the concerned sister who wanted to make sure that her brother way going to be treated correctly and honestly he was grateful that she had come along. 

"Don't worry Molly. Caleb will be in here in an hour and then you two can have fun. Don't get too distracted though because we need you to listen to what's happening around here!" She scolded him but he was already dark purple in the face from her mentioning that he have a good time with Caleb. Oh he wanted nothing more than that for sure. Moonweaver help him he was going to be exercising incredible control during this entire encounter, solely because he did not want to scare Caleb off. He cared too much to make him uncomfortable or pressure him into anything. 

If he was interested, well that was different. Even on a physical level Molly knew he could force his own feelings downwards. Even if it would hurt later. After all he had been doing it for weeks with varying degrees of success.

Jester left and Mollymauk was shown to the back rooms where he was assigned one of them. Inside there was of course a very nice bed. There was also a nice high backed chair, a small dresser with a mirror and of course a closet. The attendant they had sent him back with opened the closet door. 

"Do you already have an outfit with you?" He grinned and gestured to the bag at his side. He trailed a finger over the small half elves cheek bone playfully.

"Don't you worry love, I've got everything sorted from my end." 

She smiled softly and became a little reserved as she twirled her hair around her finger. 

"Okay. Well then as soon as you get changed you're free to walk the floor and do business. Customers don't normally come in until around just before the afternoon. If you have any questions feel free to ask me or any of the other workers. Nice to have you with us Mollymauk."

He nodded and she turned and left him alone in the room. 

The first thing Mollymauk did was take a deep breath. A nice calming long deep breath and then he was moving about and getting himself set up for the job. He had been forced to leave his swords with Jester but he had concealed two daggers within his bag and that was going to have to be his weapons for the next two days while at 'work'. He got dressed in his new outfit, making sure that one of the daggers was strapped to his upper thigh, and left the chambers shortly afterwards. He had been to brothels before and he knew how it worked, however he wasn't interested in taking any clients besides one wizard today. 

In the mean time he was going to take a look around and see what he could see about these gossiping staff members. 

He spent the better half of the morning hours walking around the main floor and talking to the different escorts and workers about the establishment and how they liked working there and if it had good clients. It was a little strange to be around so many other tieflings and they were definitely all beautiful in some regard or another. Nothing stood out to him as far as infiltration was concerned however, and by the time the afternoon rolled around Molly started feeling nervous because Caleb was supposed to arrive any second and he was not ready for that. 

He was relaxing, or pretending to, on one of the reclined sofas in the main room when he watched his wizard walk in with one of the desk attendants. Caleb was very clean for once and he was wearing his new cloak. His hair looked like it had been brushed back and honestly he just looked really good. Molly was filled with an adrenaline rush that made him want to sprint from the room but he knew that would certainly look strange. Caleb would definitely be confused if Molly suddenly ran away from him because that was not the plan. 

Molly didn't run, but he did sink down in the comfy couch until he was out of the mans line of sight. It was delaying the inevitable but honestly he needed to breathe for a second and calm his stupidly racing heart. 

The most beautiful man in all of Zadash was currently waiting for him to take him to a private room, for mission purposes of course. Molly wished that was actually the case he would have loved to take Caleb to bed knowing that was what he wanted. He was not looking forward to sitting awkwardly in a room investigating everyone around them. How long was he supposed to entertain Caleb anyway? The room would surely cost money up front, obviously he wasn't going to charge him for the time, although a part of his brain said that he should. His time WAS valuable after all. 

He shut that part of his brain up quickly. Molly took one more deep breath before he steeled his resolve. He wasn't going to let his stupid little crush, feelings, love whatever it was ruin this opportunity he had. This was time to get to know Caleb, to find out more about him and see if maybe he was potentially even just a fraction interested. Maybe. 

Without getting his hopes up anymore than he already had, Molly stood up from the sofa and brushed off his outfit to make sure it wasn't messed up anywhere and then he strode over to where Caleb had settled down in the main room. He could tell the Wizard was looking for him. Molly channeled everything he knew about being sexy and alluring and he pulled out his best seductive personality and went in. If he was going to play the part of a whore then he was going to be the best damn whore that ever lived. Moonweaver help him.

He approached smoothly and when he was a few feet away Caleb looked up at him and blinked. He appeared completely stunned at first, which was a good thing so Molly slid gracefully into his lap straddling him and smiled his most charming smile at the man. Caleb's shoulders were stiff under his palms and he appeared to be panicking just a little but Molly continued with the act. He needed this fake confidence to work so that he could maintain it for the rest of their time together. 

"Hello there darling. What can I do for such a handsome man as yourself on this fine afternoon?" He purred the words and rubbed circles into Caleb's shoulders with his thumbs. It felt so good to finally be able to say what he wanted to say, even if it was under the disguise of playing into a role. He never flirted this openly with Caleb for fear of scaring him off but now he was sort of allowed to do it. Sort of. 

"Ja, H-hallo. I would like to pay for a...r-room." Molly blinked as Caleb stuttered out his response and he broke character for a moment to give the man a look, making sure that he was okay. That seemed to ease some of the tension in him and a smile lit up Molly's face.  
"Of course darling. Come follow me, i'll take care of you for as long as you want." He slid from his lap and offered his hand which Caleb took with a firm grip. Molly's tail swayed behind him happily as he led Caleb to the room he'd been assigned. This would certainly be an interesting time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you enjoy this chapter and I can't wait to post the next. -bounces eyebrows- It's gonna get spicy.  
> Also this will probably end up being around six or so chapters. Nothing crazy long but still more to look forward to! :D


	5. Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I've actually had this chapter almost full done for some time now but it felt a little heavy to update after certain events in the show. I am posting it now but with warnings. 
> 
> There is a fight scene. There is a lot of blood and canon typical violence.
> 
> As always I hope you enjoy and I apologize for the wait on this bad boy. That ten card tarot spread took me WORK to write out haha. Big thanks to PirateQueen on the discord for the help with the cards <3

Caleb was nervous as he took Mollymauk’s hand and followed him through the large ornately decorated room and into the back hallway. There were rows of identical doorways and each of them he assumed had a bedroom waiting behind them. 

His palms were slick with the sweat of anticipation and he tried to remind himself of his plan and that nothing extreme was going to happen here. They both knew they were on a mission but for a second he’d let his mind wander, wondering what it would be like if he were actually getting a room for sexual pleasure from Mollymauk right now.

To be quite fair, his mind had wandered as soon as he’d seen Molly approach him. He’d almost looked shy at first with his tentative steps and gods his silken outfit was downright gorgeous. Jester had outdone herself by finding it and she hadn’t been kidding when she said it was both beautiful and sexy. It was tight in all the right places and beautiful bright colors against Mollymauk’s skin and honestly it was a crime how good he looked. 

The swirling flower tattoos that curved down his hip were peeking through and Caleb’s mouth had gone a little dry because he remembered seeing those at the bath house the first time they all bathed together. He’d remember thinking that they were pretty but he’d been very overwhelmed by everything and hadn’t really looked. They were gorgeous indeed. 

Mollymauk opened the door in front of them with a small golden key and pushed it open for Caleb. They walked in and Caleb was sufficiently impressed with the room as he looked around. It was well furnished and decorated and while it was far too gaudy for his own tastes he could definitely appreciate the type of décor and effort that went into it. 

The door closed behind them with a click and Caleb turned to see Mollymauk shifting anxiously from foot to foot now that they weren’t in public. 

“Are you okay Mollymauk? You look like you’ve never done this before.” The teasing comment was out of his mouth before he could think better of it but he was surprised to watch a dark flush paint its way up the tiefling's neck and cheeks. It was adorable and it floored Caleb to think that he had just flustered Mollymauk Tealeaf of all people. The unshakable carnie was truly embarrassed. 

“I uh, wait are you implying-“Caleb chuckled and moved to sit down on the bed as he spoke. 

“No Mollymauk, I was ah pulling your arm?” He sat and watched as the air seemed to deflate out of Molly’s lungs and he did his best to save face by cracking an awkward smile and recovering. 

“I see. It’s actually pulling your leg but you’re right. I can’t say that I’ve ever played the role of a prostitute seriously before.” Molly shifted once more before he swiped something off the small vanity and came to sit on the end of the bed near Caleb. It was his deck of cards and Caleb had started to realize that Mollymauk played and shuffled the cards when he was uncertain or nervous about something. It was endearing and he wondered if the man found comfort in the muscle memory of the action. 

“Pulling your leg, Ja. I will remember that.” He cleared his throat and looked around. They had made it this far now he needed to start slowly with his plan. It was a simple plan really, help Molly feel comfortable around him, relax him so that he wasn’t as wound up and scared as he had been around him since realizing his feelings. Then he was planning to use the little bit of charm he knew he could use, to pull his confession out of him. Caleb had very little experience with romance but he’d thought endlessly about the best way to go about this little problem between them. 

He liked Mollymauk, he didn’t know if he loved him, but he felt comfortable around him. Thought he was gorgeous and he wanted to explore these tentative feelings that were developing. The problem was that Mollymauk had wound everything up in his head, as one often does when they are emotionally compromised and think too much about things. Caleb knew all about that and while he was shit at dealing with his own problems he had come up with a solution with Yasha. She after all, knew Mollymauk the best and she had confirmed what he’d suspected. If he tried to bring this up directly Molly would probably get scared and deny it. Something about feeling new things put him on edge, especially when he had no experience. Yasha hadn’t explain it in much detail but she’d briefly mentioned the first time he’d encountered someone he’d been attracted to and the turmoil it had thrown his life into for a brief moment. 

The last thing Caleb wanted to do, was make Mollymauk pull away from him because he was uncertain about his feelings or scared of them. 

So he’d decided to go about this the same way he’d originally found out. Through the cards. Caleb was not a believer in mystical cards but he was a believer in magic and maybe, just maybe there was some kind of magic that worked with them that he just didn’t know about. He knew a lot of things but he did not know everything. If the source of Jester’s magic was a strange man that wore a green cloak and occasionally took bites out of her caramel apples then surely, there could be something akin to fate working with Mollymauk’s cards. At least he hoped there was.

He also hoped they liked him.

“Mollymauk I believe we are supposed to waste some time in here to seem like we are…” He pursed his lips and fought the blush on his cheeks. “Taking care of certain desires but I was thinking on the way over here that you could read some cards for me.” He turned his body to face the tiefling, making certain that there was space enough between them.

“You want me to read your cards?” Mollymauk was tilting his head and his shuffling paused before resuming with a more deliberate and concentrated effort. Caleb simply nodded and folded his hands. He paused and snapped his fingers to bring Frumpkin into his lap. The cat gave a chirrup and abandoned Caleb’s lap to go immediately over to the tiefling and rub up against his side. 

“Oh…Okay.” He didn’t think that would happen. 

Mollymauk was laughing as he reached down to scratch the cats head and down his spine. Frumpkin arching into the touch and flopped over for belly rubs. Caleb wondered if he affections from Molly had bled over into the cat and he found himself smiling softly.

“I didn’t know Frumpkin liked me so much.” Molly was happily rubbing the cat’s tummy until something in Frumpkin switched and his claws suddenly latched onto his hand and gripped. “Ow. You little monster.” There was no malice in his words only affection and it warmed Caleb’s heart as he watched the two of them play. He noticed that both of their tails were flicking at the tips happily and he smiled into his palm to hide it. That was useful information. 

“It is hard not to like you Mollymauk.” He watched him pause and duck his head slightly at the compliment but then Molly was smiling at him and his nose was scrunched up as his eyes closed with the sheer force of the cute smile and Caleb felt winded. There we no way that anyone would not find a smile like that breathtaking, because it was sunshine and happiness in its purest form. 

“Oh that is cute.” He found himself flustering slightly as he realized he had said that out loud and he quickly cleared his throat and gestured to the cards. He needed to focus and stop getting distracted.

“You never answered if you were up for reading those to me or not.” He pointed to the deck in Molly’s hand not occupied by Frumpkin. 

“Ah yes, of course. I would love to but to do a reading you have to ask a question to be answered.” He started to shuffle the cards again in a wonderful display of skill and Caleb smiled softly as he had already decided upon a question some time ago. 

“I would like to ask the cards what the future holds for me, specifically in human relations. I’m not good at being with people but I enjoy our current group quite a bit so I am curious what the fates see in my social future.” He pursed his lips and looked from the deck up to Molly’s face. His eyebrows were pinched together slightly but he nodded and shuffled the cards a few more times before placing the deck on the bed in front of them. 

“Alright will you cut the deck for me Caleb?” Caleb did as he was told and cut it before Molly placed it back together. He flipped out the cards in a complex pattern doing more than Caleb had seen him do before. In total he pulled ten cards onto the bed in-between them and Caleb watched as the last card went down and Molly’s eyes widened almost comically. 

Caleb looked down at the card and had to fight the gentle smile on his face. The lovers. The gilded edges of the card surrounded two people in a tight embrace. Flowers of various shades bloomed around the edges. Hard to misinterpret that card.

His breath was in his throat as they stared at the cards sitting on the bedspread between them. Molly was chewing on his bottom lip in deep thought and contemplation and Caleb was thinking about their meaning. Maybe there was more to this than he had originally thought because it seemed like Mollymauk was confused by the cards and not relaxed like he had intended. 

He had hoped that the familiarity of the activity would help to lower his defenses but that did not seem to be the case at all. Tentatively Caleb reached out for his hand and settled his on top. This was a huge step for him, he wasn’t really one to initiate contact at all but he wanted to help and he wanted to tell Molly how he felt without scaring him off or making him horribly uncomfortable.

The tiefling seemed to startle at the hand on his own and he blinked up at Caleb and attempted a grin but it was off, still thinking at something. 

“Mollymauk are you alright?” He pursed his lips and looked at the five cards in front of them and back to the red eyes that seemed so conflicted as of late. “With an expression like that I feel like I should be worried about my future. Is it really so bad?”

 

Molly seemed to snap out of the trance he’d been in and he fought for words and opened his mouth a few times.

“Er, uhh... No you shouldn’t be worried. It’s just…well. I can explain it.” His voice got a little quiet as he looked at the cards and then started with the base card, the one tucked underneath a card with three chalices. 

Molly was panicking in his mind, staring at the generalization of the spread. He had pulled three cards from the cups suit, not to mention The Wheel was rearing its head again as well as The Lovers this time. This was overwhelming and he was fighting the flush in his cheeks as he stared at a future the spelled out self-healing, romance and compassion for Caleb. 

He felt a pang of sadness realizing that it could not mean him and that his thoughts were selfish in nature for wanting this to be about Caleb and himself. The lovers probably referred to someone else in the group…someone Caleb had feelings for. Not him.

The six of swords sat as the base card and Molly cleared his throat as he pointed the card out to Caleb and the wizard leaned forward intently.

“The six of swords, upright. This card in this position of this spread is you at your present state. This is a card of transition, of change from a past not so great filled with fears and anxieties into something new. It is about the future and the past. But it can also mean security in your current place even as things shift around you.” Caleb nodded and Molly placed the next card back on top of it. The three of cups. 

“The three of cups is a card dealing with emotions as all cups cards do. This card tells of the challenges that you face, things that you struggle with and if you overcome them it will reward you in kind. Trust, community and pleasure for yourself. A good card but in this position, it can mean you are denying yourself these things because of the underlying card. Your present state.” Molly tentatively looked up at Caleb’s face, he was worried that he might have crossed a line but Caleb seemed content in his silence with his brows pinched in thought. 

“This card.” His fingers hovered over the card immediately to the left of the two piled together in the middle of the cross shape. “This is the card pertaining to the past.”

A dry humorless chuckle escaped Caleb lips as he looked at the card where a man laid impaled by ten swords in his back. Fitting. 

“*Ja*, I could have told you that. Looks wonderful, doesn’t it?” He was giving Molly a look that was sharp but not uninviting, as if asking him to explain what he already knew about himself. Molly swallowed thickly.

“Well this specifically refers to how your past has influenced the current situation, your social situation. You have a past fraught with broken bonds, betrayal and bad endings. Generally, a feeling of defeat in any kind of pursuit of social comradery or friendship. It could be interpreted that because of this past you feel that it might be futile to pursue anything in the present for fear that it will end up the same.”

Molly cleared his throat at the clouded expression that Caleb wore on his face but he pushed on professionally. He was giving a legitimate reading for this man and while it might slowly break his heart he was going to do a damn good job at it. 

“Well the nearest future is also depicted here in the five of cups.” His finger drifted to the card on the opposite side of the cross. “This is a cup of emotional loss, a feeling of failure and possibly despair. However, this is only in the near future not the long term and this outcome is also dependent upon your actions. If the challenges you face are not resolved this near future is more likely than unlikely.” 

Molly did not like that card, something about it irked him and told him that something bad was coming. He didn’t know what or how soon. Only that it was near. He hoped that Caleb would not be hurt.

“This has in general been very depressing so far.” Caleb chuckled and gave him a soft smile that was maybe meant to reassure him and Molly felt strange. He was the one giving the reading and yet Caleb was trying to reassure him. Usually it went the other way around. 

“Well, this is all past and future but not necessarily outcome. Your best outcome is in this card at the top of the cross. The ten of Pentacles is a card of achievement but more importantly of found family and immense satisfaction. It is actually said to be a card of wonderful fortune in any position regarding the future of outcomes.” Caleb seemed surprised and Molly fed off of it going for the last card at the bottom of the cross. 

“This is your true question. The thing you search for in the future, crave maybe even truly unknown to you. The card itself looks truly awful but the key here is that it is reversed Caleb darling. The three of swords is traditionally a card of pain and grief but upside down it means quite the opposite. While you think that pain and grief are the driving force of your story that is not the case. Yours my dear is a question and story of love and forgiveness. You are already well on this path despite your reservation as indicated by this card over here.” He briefly let his finger settled over the card with the large wheel tangled in strings of varying colors of thread. “You may not yet know it, but you are not far from the threshold that will give you what you truly need. Recovery.” Molly smiled softly up at Caleb and he wasn’t expecting to see those icy blue eyes trained directly on his face. 

Maybe he had been too excited about that card, about the prospect of something good for Caleb. Something that would help him realize his true self and come to terms with his demons of the past. Molly wanted Caleb to be happy, more than anything. Those eyes were searching his face for something and Molly shifted in his kneeling position in the beautiful sheer outfit he was wearing. 

He was suddenly very aware of how little he was wearing and that had never bothered him in his life ever before this point. He was most comfortable naked but somehow, with that cool stare on him, he felt flushed…warm and wanting. He wanted Caleb and each warm pang of want came with the sharp cold stab of pain to accompany it. 

“Mollymauk…” Molly pointedly ignored him and moved on with the reading.

“Now that we are done with the cross we can move onto outside influences rather than the internal focus. We have been talking mostly about you and your dealings with your social future but there are outside forces at work as well.“ He quickly pointed to the card at the bottom of the four stacked on the right, closest to Caleb. 

“This is your advice from the universe and well…” Molly bit his lip as he stared at that card. The hanged man could be interpreted in many ways and he just hoped his positive outlook was correct. He did not want self-sacrifice to be what the fates were suggesting for Caleb, that would be too cruel to this man. 

“This is a card of surrender, giving in to changes and letting your cards fall where they may to put it plainly. You might have to let something go in order to accept something new but overall it is a rather good card. Change will come your way and passive acceptance is the best way to receive it.” 

Molly didn’t add in that letting go of other things to accept the new was a possible interpretation. Letting go of friends…feelings. Maybe the cards were trying to tell him to let go of these useless feelings he had for Caleb. Maybe he was the one holding Caleb back from something that would give him healing and happiness.

“That makes sense, weirdly enough.” Caleb was deep in thought again and he was already pointing to the next card in the line going up. “You mentioned the wheel before. What is it exactly?” 

Molly smiled, the picture of calm and relaxed as he answered despite his jittery veins. 

“The fates. You are a string pull of fate away from being ushered in the proper direction by the universe itself. Very little you do can change that something large in your life is being shifted over.” Molly glanced nervously at the next two cards. 

“Can that card also mean something as…well, as cheesy as the notion of soulmates?” Molly felt his chest squeeze painfully at the concept. He played with the edge of the card with his claw and pursed his lips. 

“P-Perhaps. I mean it’s not usually how one would interpret such a varied card as that b-but it’s not impossible.” His cheeks were flushed. Fuck. 

“Well I mean that card is rather obvious.” Caleb was pointing at the two humans wrapped up in each other on the tenth card and Molly playfully smacked his hand as he fought his own flustered feelings. 

“Shush we’re not there yet.” Molly cleared his throat and instead directed Caleb’s attention to the King of Cups. Oh yeah, that motherfucker. “Your hopes and fears are represented in this card. A complex card with many meanings. This as a hopeful card can mean fully understanding and being in control of your feelings but it can also be your greatest fear. Using your control of your emotions for a darker purpose, using what you have learned to hurt those close to you. This fear will cloud your mind and prevent growth if you don’t learn to accept it. If you fight that fear it will destroy you.” 

He stared at the next card and his cheeks felt hot and his palms a little sweaty. That fucking card. At least when he’d been reading with Fjord that two of cups was subtler. He couldn’t even lie about this one in the slightest. 

“Um the Lovers…Can actually mean a large spectrum of things. In the position of the tenth card in this reading, this card is the outcome of your questions. The resolution lies in love, but of course this can mean any kind of love. The love of a family, the love of oneself. It is about open communication and trust between yourself and your conflict. Whether that is a person, a group of people or with your own situation.” Molly felt like he was rambling. He _knew_ he was rambling because he didn’t want to point out the obviousness of the card. He didn’t want to let himself hope. 

“It can also mean the beginning of a relationship though. A fulfilling one.” Molly looked up and he felt pinned by the eye contact. Caleb never made eye contact. Molly realized why now. He felt cornered and held by that gaze, exposed and like his own eyes were telling far too much. 

“I…hm. Uh. Uh. Yes? It can definitely mean something like. If you feel like you are in the market for a relationship this is a good sign to…p-pursue whoever you, fancy. Or adore.” Molly cleared his throat and threw on one of the fakest smiles he could muster. “Is there someone you like? I thought you might have been getting closer with Jester.” Molly felt his own heart break at the suggestion but it made sense. Caleb did seem to trust and like Jester. She made sense, even if she was young. She was bright and happy and maybe she was good for him. The fates seemed to think so at least. 

Caleb watched as Molly dropped his gaze to the bed. His tail had curled up self-consciously around his own leg and that concerned him. Molly’s body language was guarded, uncomfortable and borderline sad. What had brought his mood down so much, the suggestion that Caleb liked Jester perhaps? Oh what a foolish foolish man.

Caleb was enthusiastic about this reading. While he was still hesitant to believe the fates whole-heartedly like Molly might, it seemed positive. It seemed to be telling him to cut his losses and let Mollymauk in, to accept his faults and trust that Molly might still be interested even after knowing. 

“Mollymauk why do you look like you are seconds away from crying?” Caleb reached out again to take the lavender tieflings hand. Gods he was beautiful dressed up in those bright colors that flowed around him. Caleb realized a bit belatedly that he was absolutely smitten with this man. 

He was terrified of those feelings, but oddly comforted by the cards and by the fact that maybe Molly was scared about this as well. It was new and tender and fleeting but maybe it could work. With a little care and attention, it could be something beautiful. 

“D-Do I?” Molly seemed shocked and he reached up to brush at the corner of his eyes and sure enough there was a bit of wetness pooling at the corner of his eyes. Caleb watched him try to smile it away. “Oh, my tiredness must be getting to me. You know nerves about today, didn’t sleep so well.”

“Do you really think that I have feelings for Jester, Mollymauk?” Caleb blurted out the question before he could stop himself. His smile was amused as he stared at the way too bright and flashy man in front of him. Molly looked dumbstruck. 

“I mean she is adorable. You cannot tell me that she’s not sweet and wonderful and adorable.” Molly was babbling again and Caleb felt the grip on his hand get tighter. 

“She is very adorable but I have no interest in women. I think of her as a little sibling that can lift me over her head easily.” Caleb chuckled and gently brought Molly’s hand up to his mouth to brush his lips over the back of his knuckles. 

“Besides…I have interests in a tiefling a little less blue than she is.” His eyes flickered up to meet surprised red ones. They had both shifted closer over the cards in-between them in the process of their conversation. Caleb was leaning towards him and Molly had his weight fully on his arm on the bed. Their faces were inches away, breathing in the air between them and something electric and smelling faintly of old magic tensed between them. 

“C-Caleb…I thought.” Molly bit his lip and Caleb’s eyes gently searched his face, pausing on those full lips painted in that dark purple color.

“Well there’s your problem. Too much thinking. I would know.” His grin was teasing as Caleb placed a hand gently onto one very smooth lavender cheek. 

The flush on Molly’s cheeks was adorable and Caleb found himself leaning in closer towards him. They were a few centimeters apart now, the cards barely maintaining a line between their legs as Caleb leaned into Mollymauk’s space and the tiefling didn’t back away. Their noses brushed softly and Caleb felt his eyes flutter shut when suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. 

They jolted apart like they’d been yelled at, or physically shocked. A stillness settled in the air before the loud knock repeated with an insistence. 

That was weird. Maybe something had happened and the rest of the group needed their attention for some reason. Yasha certainly had a knock that loud, even Jester but she probably would have been calling out behind the door. 

“I uh…I guess I’ll see who it is.” Caleb nodded and Mollymauk seemed just as confused as he was. Caleb kept quiet as Molly went over to the door to open it and see what was happening. There was an uneasiness in the pit of his stomach as he reached for the door and Caleb wished that he had said something. Told him to stop, gone over to help him open the door so they were both standing there. He wished he had done anything to prevent what happened next. 

It was innocent enough the way Mollymauk swung open the door, playing the part of an interrupted worker, but that meant nothing for the thick crossbow bolt that went straight through his stomach as soon as the door was wide enough. 

His eyes went wide with pain and his hands flew to the wound at the same time Caleb sprung to his feet and started to mutter a spell. The cards went flying off the bedspread and Caleb was halfway to having the incantation for scorching ray done towards the masked figures in the doorway when his muscles locked up completely. He was frozen in place, mouth halfway to a word as the hold person spell took place. His own incantation stayed frozen around his hand, the magic halfway woven through the air and just taking shape, unreleased from his fingers. 

“Oh a wizard! Good thing we brought Thiscket.” A low voice spoke from the doorway but it was interrupted by a feral snarl as Mollymauk stretched out a hand and shouted in skin crawling infernal laced with magic towards the one in the back. Caleb watched one of the assailant’s eyes start to bleed profusely at the same time that Molly’s neck burst open with a wound caused by his own powers.

Caleb wanted to scream when he saw the two in the back load their crossbows again as fast as Nott would be able too. Molly was too focused controlling the blood maledict and despite Caleb’s attempts he couldn’t break free from the spell. 

He watched in horror as two more crossbow bolts buried themselves into Mollymauk’s shoulder and chest. The pretty fabric of his outfit spattered crimson down the front, side and blood leaking from his mouth as he sputtered it up past his lips from the deep wound in his stomach. Caleb’s heart wrenched at the sight.

“Restrain him.” The words were cold and calm from the hallway as two of the five people outside the door rushed forward and grabbed Mollymauk fully by the shoulders and slammed him up against the wall. 

To his defense, he kicked and clawed and his tail thrashed but he was too weak with the three crossbow bolts in his torso and they were large and strong. He was slammed against the wall a second time his head making a sickening thunk as it snapped back against the wall. He slumped forward dazed and barely holding onto consciousness as they bound his wrists and feet and gagged his mouth. 

Caleb had never felt more helpless and useless in his life than when they hauled him over a shoulder and towards the door. His mind was thrashing against the spell that was holding him, desperate to break it, to launch his scorching ray directly at their heads. He wanted them to burn for touching Mollymauk, for shooting him. He wanted to help. 

His desperate cries were absolutely useless and not a sound left his frozen lips as his eyes connected with Molly’s desperately pleading ones when he was hauled out of the room. 

“Are we leaving the wizard?” Another voice chimed up and Caleb hoped to god they brought him because he would give them absolute hell. He was going to burn down everything they loved.

 

“No. We only want Nonagon.” That cold voice shot down his spine again like ice and without any more discussion the group left. Caleb did his best to memorize everything he could about all of them. Five people, two shorter and feminine in stature and height, all of them were clad in red and black robes. Two more were taller, hefty and muscular, the ones who had thrown Mollymauk against the wall. And the final member was cold, average height and build. A voice like death and eyes that didn’t care. He hadn’t seen any tattoos or markings on the robes, nothing identifying except that he’d called Molly Nonagon. 

It was several minutes later that he screamed so loud in his head that he shattered the spell around him. His scorching ray leap from his fingertips and slammed with destructive force into the wall next to the door. 

“Mollymauk!” The shout left his lips as feeling returned to him and he was moving in an instant. His hand grasped around the handle of the doorway as he yanked it open fully. It slammed into the opposite wall as he sprinted out into the corridor and jogged down the hallway. 

He needed to find him, to get him back, save him from those people. 

As he ran out to the main room of the brothel everything seemed peculiarly normal. In fact, nobody seemed perturbed, there was no running and nobody seemed to have seen any strange people that caused them alarm. It was business as usual all around him and that creeping sense of panic welled up in him as Caleb turned desperately on his feet and stalked up to the main desk. 

“WHERE IS HE?” His voice was booming and loud, something from his past rather than a voice he would have dared use in his right mind these days. It was a commanding voice that Trent had taught him to use and the effect was immediate on the woman behind the desk. She flinched and backed up against the wall in fear.

“Sir? Are you okay, did something happen to your entertainer for the evening?” Her voice was high pitched and frightened but it was obviously confused, desperately so. This was not the voice of someone hiding something. 

“ _Schieẞe!_ ” He cursed and swiveled around to look for anyone that seemed to be responding to his outburst but there were only confused stares directed back at him.

Nobody had seen anyone go back and take Mollymauk by force, or nobody remembered it. If they'd had one mage to cast hold person on him there was no garuntee that they didn't have someone else to alter what appeared to be happening while they had taken him. 

 

A crushing sense of desperation filled his lungs and Caleb sucked in air as he quickly turned towards where the group were supposed to be nearby and sent a message spell. 

 

 _"Something happened, Mollymauk was taken by force, get here now."_ he pushed down on his rising panic and headed back to the room where they'd spent the past hours talking, enjoying each other's company, almost kissing. His chest ached at the very thought.

 

He hadn’t told him yet. He hadn’t gotten the chance to tell him anything. 

 

Caleb stared around the room, the tarot cards were scattered everywhere after he'd lunged to his feet and he meticulously started to pick them up one by one. Molly loved these cards and he would hate to see them damaged. 

 

His fingers brushed over the cards until he came across two cards on the floor, they were overlapping and seemingly telling a story. 

 

The fool stared up at him the corner of the card slightly torn and damaged from the brief struggle. It had probably been stepped on. Directly behind it the death card stared with the haunting eyes of a skull full of blooming flowers creeping at the edges. 

 

He sucked in a breath at the imagery and couldn't help but think that yes, they were all fools and if they didn't hurry the biggest fool of their group was going to be pretty damn close to death. 

 

He cleaned up the cards, not wanting to look at the morbid images anymore and quickly shoved The Lovers into his hand as well from the bed. They were shaking slightly and his chest was aching. They had been so close.... He'd been so close to telling him. To fixing everything that had Mollymauk in a pinch and now he didn't know if he was ever going to get the chance.

 

Caleb banished that thought quickly. He would get the chance, he would make sure of it. As soon as the group got back he would burn down this fucking brothel before he gave up on Mollymauk. 

 

Those eyes desperately trying to convey something to him as he was pulled from the room. Caleb had wanted to shout that he knew. He knew... And he understood. More than that he _reciprocated_. He cared just as much about Mollymauk as the tiefling apparently cared for him they were just absolutely terrible at showing it. 

 

They were both terrified. Caleb hadn't been in a relationship or in love since... Well he refused to think about that outright. 

 

Clearly Mollymauk had not experienced this depth of emotion for someone yet and they were fools. That card was fitting for both of them, fools in love and too stupid to say anything about it for fear of being hurt or messing something up. 

 

_'Caleb we are inside where are you? You can reply to this message.'_

 

Notts frantic voice filled his head and he quickly replied giving her the room location that he was in. Good, if they were here he or Jester could cast locate object on the dagger that had been strapped to Molly's thigh. He doubted they were smart enough to reach that high up on his thigh, at least not yet. It had been exactly twenty-two minutes since Mollymauk had been carried out that door. 

 

The group burst into the room, Yasha looking furious and Jester looking panicked as they looked around everywhere. Their eyes rested on Caleb, visibly upset with a deck of tarot cards in his hands. It seemed to confirm their worries and he spent the next two minutes retelling what had happened and relaying all of the information methodically laid out for the group. 

 

Jester was pacing nervously, Fjord was deep in thought, Beauregard kept cracking her knuckles and Nott was staring at him like she wanted to wrap him in a hug. 

 

Yasha though. Yasha looked furious and restless. Her fists kept clenching and unclenching at her sides as he spoke. Caleb felt the most akin to her response than any of the others. He wanted to bring pain, he wanted to hurt and for the first time in many years he wanted to burn it all down. 

 

It terrified him to his very core that these were the reactions he chose to have. 

 

“Well this is tough because we don’t know where they took him…” Fjord looked around at everyone for a moment but Caleb couldn’t just sit here. He needed to act. 

 

“Clearly this is connected to the leaking of information for the gentleman and somehow the assholes that used to work with whoever Nonagon was, are a part of it. This is bigger than we thought but Jester can locate an object on Mollymauk correct?” His voice was terse and to the point and he saw Nott flinch just a little bit at the tone. He couldn’t stop the little bit of Trent that showed through in his actions. He couldn’t control his training when he was in this state.

 

He wasn’t sure that he could hold himself back from torturing someone if the needed to get information. 

 

His hands were shaking with the realization of just how shallow his protection from his past tendencies was. If this was all it took to bring out the monster in him then he could hardly call himself a human. Hardly call himself worthy of love.

 

The Cards came to his mind. No, he needed to accept this fear. Gods he was sure putting a lot of weight in that card reading.

 

“Caleb.” Nott was holding his hand gently in hers and looking up at him with concern. “It’s okay we’re going to get him back.” 

 

He choked on his words as he tried to piece something together and stubbornly looked down at his boots. Filthy and worn but comforting.

 

“You don’t understand… he looked so scared. And all I did was stand there. It’s all I could do.” He forced back his sob and refused to let any tears fall. He wasn’t going to let whoever these assholes were, be happy with the satisfaction of his tears. 

 

“I found him!” Jester shouted from where she was sitting and concentrating on her spell. Caleb’s head snapped up and he was next to her in a second. 

 

“Where?” His voice rang of desperation as he crouched and stared at her with rapt attention.

 

“Well I found his cloak, its uh… this is going to sound weird but it’s about 800 feet below us.” The group blinked around at each other before they looked down at the floor as something occurred to them. This was much bigger than what it had initially made itself out to be. 

 

“Fuck.” Beau’s voice rang out in the small room and Caleb found that he quite agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow yeah lots to digest in the chapter. Feel free to leave a comment, shout at me, rage at the dying of the light. Hopefully Ill have the next chapter parsed out sooner than this one was <3
> 
> As always you can find me on tumblr and instagram under  
> Caketastrophe_cosplay
> 
> Thank you for all the comments they really do make my day and keep me going <3 :)


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